What should I pay attention to in case of aftercare?
The hospital stay after a uterus prolapse is usually not longer than a few days. Some complications of the operation, such as stress incontinence, may also occur later after the operation. Therefore, follow-up care after certain intervals is very important.
In addition, aftercare can also be used to determine whether there has been a renewed drop or whether an unnaturally prolonged discharge from the vagina has been observed. The stay in hospital after surgery for uterine prolapse is usually short. On average, one can be discharged from the hospital after the operation after three to five days.
Of course, only if the patient feels well and there have been no complications in the course after the operation. Special attention is paid to whether the patient has problems with urination after the operation. This is a known complication of the operation, as the operation is also performed in the immediate vicinity of the bladder, which may cause problems with continence.
What are the risks?
The operation of a uterus prolapse is a procedure with few complications. A possible risk of the operation is the triggering of a so-called stress incontinence. This occurs if the bladder is positioned too far up in the anterior pelvic floor surgery.
As a result, the angle between the floor of the bladder and the urethra becomes too steep, so that the urine can no longer be held by the sphincter muscles of the bladder. Since incontinence can be very stressful for the patient, it is essential that this is detected in the aftercare and the patient receives appropriate support. Urination can also be difficult after the operation.
In addition, pain during sexual intercourse can occur even after the surgical wounds have healed completely. General risks of an operation, such as post-operative bleeding or infections, are possible, but are rather rare with the procedures. If the uterus has been lowered due to a weakness of the connective tissue, there is also a risk that the uterus may be lowered again after the operation or that the uterus or vaginal stump may be removed.
The operation only treats the symptoms, but cannot eliminate the weakness of the tissue. Surgery for uterine prolapse only treats the symptoms, but not the cause. It is possible to lift and fix the pelvic organs affected by the prolapse, but the weakness of the tissue remains.
Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that further prolapses may occur. Newer surgical methods, which work with the insertion of a mesh, are supposed to reduce the risk of a renewed subsidence, but cannot completely eliminate it. Another long-term consequence can be incontinence, which is caused by overcorrection of the bladder.
This can be treated in a variety of ways, both with conservative and further surgical measures. However, there may be cases where incontinence remains as a long-term consequence. If the uterus was completely removed during the operation, the obvious consequence is that no more children can be conceived and menstruation suddenly stops. In addition, the sensation during sexual intercourse may be altered and an earlier onset of menopause may be possible.
