# Rectocele



## 22395

I usually post on the IBS, diarrhea & constipation boards. So, this is my first post to this forum.Long story short for present purposes, I have incomplete bowel evacuation problems and have been told by both my colon/rectal surgeon and my gynecologist that I have a 'slight' rectocele. Surgery has not been indicated and they seem to think that this should not be posing any problems at all for me. And, no, I do not want to have any unneccessary surgery.But, what can I do to help improve a 'slight' rectocele? I have Estrace and other hormone creme. Should this help improve the rectocele? I have used these as often as prescribed. So, my bad on that account.Any information, suggestions, or insight on how best to handle my 'slight' rectocele will be greatly appreciated.Evelyn55 yrs.Alternating D&CIncomplete EvacuationMSPrevious rectal prolapse surgeryHysterectomyPrevious Bladder Lift


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## 22395

Hey, I was hoping to hear from anyone who has or has had a rectocele and had surgery. Or, was otherwise able to 'repair' this through hormone therapy, exercise physical therapy, etc.I would appreciate any information anyone can share with me.Thanks in advance.EvelynEvelyn55 yrs.Alternating D&CIncomplete EvacuationMSPrevious rectal prolapse surgeryHysterectomyPrevious Bladder Lift


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## Lauri

I too have a rectocele that is "not that bad." I also suffer from incomplete evacuation. I usually have to push through my vagina to get the final part of a bm out although, I never feel like I am empty! I have been told by my gyn, a urogynocologist and a pt that it is not "that bad." I am currently going to PT for it. I have only had 3 sessions, but haven't gotten anywhere yet. I am very depressed about the whole GI thing. I'm sick and tired of thinking about it, talking about it and feeling like ####. Not sure what else to do about it. I have 5 more sessions. I'm hoping it helps eventually. You should look into the PT thing for now. Maybe it will help you.


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## 22395

Lauri,Could you please describe the PT that you are taking. After my anolrectal manogram test, I was given some Kegel exercises. I am not having any success with them. I have a difficult isolating the muscles, and usually I am so uncomfortable trying to finish emptying everything out, that I am not able to do them.Evelyn


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## pedsnurse77

I finally had my rectocele repaired last December, at 51 yrs old, and wish I had done it YEARS ago. 1 year having a tubal ligation, when I was 40 yrs old (3 yrs after having my 4th child) I suddenly was thrust into menopause! I don't know if the tubal was the cause, but.......! Anyway, after that EVERYTHING started going downhill (quite literally)! By the time I was 46 my uterus was so badly prolapsed (my cervix was out of the vagina..OUCH!) that I had to use a pessary. I also had a "small" rectocele at the time, as well as a cystocele (protruding bladder). I needed surgery badly but needed to save up vacation time in order to do it, which took another year.By the time I had it done (when I was 47) things had worsened so much that the planned hysterectomy/cystocele/rectocele repair turned into just a hysterectomy/cystocele (the worse of the 2). The surgeons opted to not complete the rectocele repair because "everything just fell out" when they took out the uterus. and the doing the repair was like "suturing hamburger". They had to use a grafting material in order to do the repair and weren't sure how it would "take", so they didn't want to cause more problems with healing. All that took 5 hours at that! I, too, got to the point where stool would get "stuck" in the rectocele and it was becoming worse and worse. Exercise didn't help (I am very active in my job, and life in general), Kegels did NOTHING for me. I really think it is all hormone related. It has been SO MUCH better since the surgery. I did have to take 8 weeks off of work, and another 4 weeks of "light duty", but what a difference it has made!I have had IBS since I was 25, however, and now find that I have more difficulty controlling flatulence. I don't know if a nerve was damaged slightly in the process of doing the surgery or not. That is the only "down side" I have experienced, but it still was worth it. I was told there would be that possiblity, but it doesn't happen to everyone (I forget the percentage that my GYN quoted to me).I really wish that I had just been able to take care of everything as soon as things started to prolapse! The longer one waits, the worse it gets. I say "WHY WAIT"?


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## Lauri

I have only had 3 sessions so don't have much to report. During the 1st session we mostly talked. The PT then did a vaginal exam and checked the muscles/walls of the vagina. Felt the rectocele to see the size. She told me "it's not that bad." EVERYONE tells me this, but it feels HUGE to me. During the 2nd appt, she did biofeedback. She placed an electronic sensor into my vagina and then had me squeeze and relax my muscles. It showed on the screen how well I was able to do this. She seemed to think I was "helpable." Next day I had a yeast infection







Told her this on my 3rd visit. She thought perhaps it wasn't a yeast infection but maybe "we woke up the nerves." huh? All I know is a pill from my dr. cleared it up, so my guess is YEAST INFECTION. Anyway, on the 3rd visit she did "muscle work." Massaged the skin outside the vagina, inner leg area and butt. (Have NO idea what this is supposed to do for the rectocele). I have appt. this thursday. The appts are every other week which doesn't seem right to me, but she seems ok w/it. I must sound a little doubtful about this whole thing. I mean to be doubtful. I just don't feel very optimistic about this. I'll keep you posted.


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## MexicoWasn'tWorthIt

Totally odd that I stumbled across this here on an IBS board. I am fighting post infectious IBS at the moment (waiting for results of my endoscopy and taking Prevacid/Align). I also have the triad of prolapses from a difficult first birth (forceps and a 9.3 lb baby) and then getting pregnant when my son was 9-10 mths. old. I had a planned c/section with my daughter because of the pelvic floor damage I suffered w/ my son. No way in hell I was going through that again. Thought I might push out my organs w/ the baby!Anyhow, I am planning to get them fixed (hoping to re-suspend the uterus as I am only 32 and have no other health problems) but will need the bladder and rectocele repaired as well. I belong to a message board for prolapse called UPRISE.http://prolapse.hyperboards.com/It is very helpful and you can remain annoymous and just lurk around if you'd like. My symptoms get worse around my period (everything is lower), and my hormones have been insane the past 5-6 mths. I no longer ovulate (stress and wt. loss from the bug I caught in Mexico). I've gotten a few yeast infections (never a problem in the past) and have an appt. with my OB in two weeks. I swear I am in temporary menopause! Ug. I've seen a colorectal surgeon and a uroygyn. about this. If you just need the rectocele repaired, the colo. surgeon would repair it from the back while the urogyn. would fix it using the vagina as the point of entry. Most do site-specific repairs, and I was told the recovery would be 6 weeks (this was for rectocele only--for all of the prolapses, the recovery is more like 12 weeks which is something I cannot do w/ a 2 and 3 yr old).Anyhow, good luck and I'll check back to see if you have any questions. Pelvic floor problems are AWFUL. Mexico


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## Lee

Mexico,Does the message board you talk about, deal with rectocele or just full on prolapse? My doctor has advised me that I don't have a rectal prolapse just "a slight rectocele". He also thinks it is not significant. Is a rectocele a slight prolapse anyway? I'm confused.I tried to register on the board but it says it has "too many members" now.I also am missing one third of my external sphincter muscle. Must have been born with this problem. When I went for my anal manometry session I was told that, as a result, I wouldn't have "the same drive" as someone without this. So I assumed that's why I often suffer from incomplete evacuation. But after reading the posts on here I'm beginning to think that perhaps the rectocele is more the problem.Over the years, I probably strained a lot despite fibre supplements etc. so my rectal nerves have also been damaged. When having the anal manometry I didn't FEEL the balloon when I should have when it was being inflated.Any one else have this nerve damage, as well as a rectocele?


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## Hopenfaith

Lee said:


> Mexico,Does the message board you talk about, deal with rectocele or just full on prolapse? My doctor has advised me that I don't have a rectal prolapse just "a slight rectocele". He also thinks it is not significant. Is a rectocele a slight prolapse anyway? I'm confused.I tried to register on the board but it says it has "too many members" now.I also am missing one third of my external sphincter muscle. Must have been born with this problem. When I went for my anal manometry session I was told that, as a result, I wouldn't have "the same drive" as someone without this. So I assumed that's why I often suffer from incomplete evacuation. But after reading the posts on here I'm beginning to think that perhaps the rectocele is more the problem.Over the years, I probably strained a lot despite fibre supplements etc. so my rectal nerves have also been damaged. When having the anal manometry I didn't FEEL the balloon when I should have when it was being inflated.Any one else have this nerve damage, as well as a rectocele?


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## Hopenfaith

Hi! Iam new to this site and boy am I glad I found you guys! I was reading the thread and thought I'd put in my 2 cents worth. I'll try to be short cuz this is such a LONG ongoing battle for me. In 2001 I had a vaginal prolapse with rectocele. I had surgery to repair (with mesh) that and then a couple of years later, the prolapse surgery let go. (more on this below).. At that time, I again had a rectocele. This repeat prolapse repair and rectocele repair was done in 2006 during a very lengthy surgery. I started having problems with my bowels shortly after (passing quite abit of blood, mucous and HORRIBLE constipation) and didn't know (nor did the Drs what my problem was. I also have IBS with constipation anyway and they told me that it was just flare ups of that...HA...they had no clue..When the first mesh let go, it had fellen into my bowels and proceded to puncture holes all throughout my intestines..(bowels, appendix, etc.)....I was so sick and no Dr seemed to know what was wrong with me. Finally found a colo rectal surgeon that was my saviour. I was full of holes and infection had set in, plus I had a rectovaginal fistula so bad that my bowels would move out my vagina..







Very scary!!!...When the colorectal surgeon removed mesh (and part of my bowel_I had to have a temp ileostomy for everything to heal..plus the 2nd mesh was just hanging there so he removed it too..Long to short...I now have another rectocele and there is nothing more they can do for me because it's too risky...so it's a day to day struggle. I eventually was able to have the ileostomy reversed but still suffer from IBS with constipation. NOt a good thing for a rectocele....Now its a matter of drinking enough water and getting enough fiber. That's my story. HOpe none of you have to ever go through it...It was brutal...Thanks!...Marlene


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## Hopenfaith

Hopenfaith said:


> Hi! Iam new to this site and boy am I glad I found you guys! I was reading the thread and thought I'd put in my 2 cents worth. I'll try to be short cuz this is such a LONG ongoing battle for me. In 2001 I had a vaginal prolapse with rectocele. I had surgery to repair (with mesh) that and then a couple of years later, the prolapse surgery let go. (more on this below).. At that time, I again had a rectocele. This repeat prolapse repair and rectocele repair was done in 2006 during a very lengthy surgery. I started having problems with my bowels shortly after (passing quite abit of blood, mucous and HORRIBLE constipation) and didn't know (nor did the Drs what my problem was. I also have IBS with constipation anyway and they told me that it was just flare ups of that...HA...they had no clue..When the first mesh let go, it had fellen into my bowels and proceded to puncture holes all throughout my intestines..(bowels, appendix, etc.)....I was so sick and no Dr seemed to know what was wrong with me. Finally found a colo rectal surgeon that was my saviour. I was full of holes and infection had set in, plus I had a rectovaginal fistula so bad that my bowels would move out my vagina..
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Very scary!!!...When the colorectal surgeon removed mesh (and part of my bowel_I had to have a temp ileostomy for everything to heal..plus the 2nd mesh was just hanging there so he removed it too..Long to short...I now have another rectocele and there is nothing more they can do for me because it's too risky...so it's a day to day struggle. I eventually was able to have the ileostomy reversed but still suffer from IBS with constipation. NOt a good thing for a rectocele....Now its a matter of drinking enough water and getting enough fiber. That's my story. HOpe none of you have to ever go through it...It was brutal...Thanks!...Marlene


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## Hopenfaith

Me again.....I forgot to add that I also have rectal nerve (sensor) damage and don't always feel the urge when I need to go. Too many surgeries have done that. I now have to deal with a very full feeling in my rectum all the time, but it's not so bad I guess. Much better than dealing with an ileostomy...


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## pickie4

hey, hope someone reads this and responds. unlike many of the people on here i am sixteen years old, i have never had any surgeries or given birth, and i believe i am suffering from rectocele... i have not been able to pass a bowl movement in a few days, and upon feeling pressure in my vaginal area i discovered that when i tried to pass a movement a large bulge would expand in my vagina... and i have been unable to go to the bathroom. i do not know how to fix this, and i really need to go to the bathroom... so i would appreciate a quick solution to passing a bowel movement that seems to be stuck in the wrong place. also i am concerned about this being a long term problem i need to fix... i do not want to go to a doctor, because that would involve talking to my parents about it, and my doctor, and that is too embarrassing. i am worried about this and am also very upset. i don't want to have surgery and have to change my lifestyle because of this, and i am very young and all of this sounds strange. i also would like to know if its possible that i don't have rectocele, and this is just a strange one time occurrence...? PLEASE RESPOND QUICKLY


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