What is vaginal repair?
Vaginal repair, or as known in the medical field as colporrhaphy, is
a surgical procedure done on the vagina to restore its normal support.
Some of the reasons that causes the muscles and ligaments of the vagina
to drop down are pregnancy, childbirth, obesity, constipation, prolapse,
etc. Prolapse, on the other hand, is a problem in the vaginal area that
causes difficulty when urinating, defecating, and sometimes even during
sexual intercourse. When this happens, the vagina and the womb often
ends up being weak and stretched down.
There are also instances that vaginal relaxation happens and results to decrease in sexual satisfaction, vaginal air-trapping, vaginal wind, or vaginal water trapping. These are not just uncomfortable experiences but could also decrease the self-esteem of a person. Fortunately, these can all be fixed with vaginal repair.
How the procedure is done?
The stretched and excess skin on the vaginal area is removed through
surgery, this will decrease the size of the vagina, enabling more friction
during sexual intercourse and increased satisfaction. There are also
instances that a doctor might have to tighten the supporting tissues
of the vagina and stitch a mesh for additional support. The surgical
procedure for vaginal repair usually takes around an hour. The incision
is often done on the lower abdomen and a catheter or tube is placed
into the bladder to collect urine. The doctor would then make the necessary
corrections on the vaginal wall and the incisions would be sutured with
dissolvable stitches.
What to expect after vaginal repair?
Although the surgical procedure itself takes more or less an hour, the
patient might need to stay in the hospital for two or three days. There
might be some bruising on the labia and surrounding area but oral medications
to deal with pain will be prescribed by the doctor. Once out of the
hospital, patients are advised not to participate in heavy exercises
for three weeks or more, not to use tampons for ten days, and to avoid
sexual intercourse for eight weeks.
