Here's How to Prep for Rectocele Repair

Rectocele is a kind of pelvic organ prolapse. A prolapse occurs when your pelvic floor muscles weaken to the point where they can’t support the organs above them. 

In a rectocele, the wall between your rectum and your vagina weakens. Your rectum bulges into your vagina, which makes you feel that you always have to go to the bathroom, even after you’ve just defecated.

You might also experience other uncomfortable symptoms, such as pain during sex. Sometimes the bulging of the rectum through the vagina makes it difficult to evacuate your bowels. Sometimes you can actually feel the bulge in your vagina.

You’ve scheduled a rectocele repair and are looking forward to feeling normal down there again. But what happens during your repair surgery? 

Our expert colorectal surgeons at Colon and Rectal Surgeons of Greater Hartford want you to feel comfortable going into your rectocele repair. Our team helps prepare you physically and mentally for your procedure at our offices in Bloomfield, South Windsor, and Plainville, Connecticut.

What can you do to make your rectocele repair and recovery go smoothly? Following are a few tips.

Understand the procedure

If you’re scheduled for rectocele repair, you didn’t respond to other types of less-invasive interventions, such as pelvic floor exercises and bowel training. You may also have already tried a pessary, which is a device that’s inserted into the vagina to lift prolapsed organs.

When your colorectal specialist recommends rectocele repair, the goal of surgery is to tighten and strengthen the wall that separates the vagina from the rectum. You need to undergo general anesthesia in a hospital during the operation to ensure that you’re fully immobilized. You also receive antibiotics intravenously (IV).

Rectocele repair itself usually only takes about one hour. Your surgeon makes an incision in the back wall of your vagina. They may approach the incision site through the:

• Vagina
• Perineum
• Anus

They then insert a catheter so you’re able to urinate without going to the bathroom. They use stitches or staples to stabilize the ligaments in your pelvic floor. They may also stitch and strengthen the wall tissue between your vagina and rectum. After resolving any other issues, they close the incision.

Make arrangements for your recovery

You need to stay in the hospital up to three days after the procedure, so that your healing can be monitored. Your nurse encourages you to walk as soon as possible to help your body heal, but you’ll be sore and won’t be able to do much on your own.

Be sure you’ve arranged to take off enough time from work and arranged for child care or pet care, if necessary. Full recovery can take weeks. You won’t be able to manage regular household chores, such as cooking and cleaning, during that time.

You also need to have a friend or family member drive you home from the hospital. Your doctor lets you know when you’re cleared to drive or resume other activities, based on your progress during follow-up visits. Before you leave, the hospital staff removes the catheter.

Your doctor prescribes pain medication to help keep you comfortable. Be sure to take it as directed. As you heal, you can transition to over-the-counter painkillers.

Prepare the weeks before

In addition to organizing for your recovery, you can also take steps to make the procedure go more smoothly. Be sure to follow any prep instructions that your colorectal expert gives you. These may include the recommendations to:

• Undergo blood and urine tests
• Fast for 6-8 hours before your operation time
• Stop medications, as ordered by your physician
• Take any allowed medications with just a sip of water
• Take stool softeners, as prescribed
• Avoid any substances that interfere with clotting, such as aspirin
• Quit smoking for the weeks before and after your procedure
• Limit or avoid alcohol before and after your procedure
• Bathe before your procedure
• Bring your insurance cards and social security number 
• Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing

Be sure to remove contact lenses before your procedure. We advise that you also don’t wear makeup or nail polish. Leave any jewelry or valuables at home. If you wear dentures or other prosthetics, let us know so we can remove them before the operation.

Do you feel like you never fully evacuate your bowels? To be evaluated or treated for rectocele and pelvic organ prolapse, schedule an evaluation online today. You can also phone our caring team at the office nearest you (Bloomfield, South Windsor, or Plainville, Connecticut).