Perineum and Pelvic Floor Repair

Your journey with the Cadogan Clinic will start with up to two consultations with one of our leading specialist plastic surgeons at our award-winning premises in Chelsea. These consultations will take between 30 and 60 minutes.

During your consultation, your surgeon will ask about your expectations for your perineum and pelvic floor repair and talk about what will happen during the procedure. They will also explain how the procedure will affect you and the recovery period.

It is important that you are open and honest about what you hope to achieve through surgery to help ensure the best possible result. Your surgeon will be happy to answer any questions you may have at this point. It may be a good idea to write your questions down before attending the consultation. Having established what you want from the surgery, and what is possible given your anatomy, several key measurements will be made and standard clinical photography will be taken. Your medical history will be discussed and a physical examination will be carried out.

If your surgeon feels you are a good candidate for surgery, you are then invited to consider whether you would like to proceed with your perineum and pelvic floor repair or not following a two week 'cooling off' period.

If you decide to go ahead with surgery, the next time you will return to the clinic is on the day of your perineum and pelvic floor repair. It is important that you prepare by taking the following measures ahead of surgery.

• Stop smoking. Smoking can slow the healing process. If you smoke, your doctor will recommend that you stop smoking six weeks before surgery and during the recovery period. You should avoid smoking for at least 48 hours before your surgery.
• Avoid taking certain medications. You should avoid taking aspirin, anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal supplements in the week ahead of your surgery. Taking these can increase bleeding.
• Avoid alcohol. You should not drink any alcohol for 48 hours ahead of your surgery. This is because alcohol can hamper the healing process.
• Arrange for help during recovery. Make plans for a friend or family member to drive you home after you leave the hospital and stay with you for at least the first night of your recovery at home.

In the six hours prior to surgery you must not consume food or any drink, other than small sips of clear fluid which will be allowed up to two hours before you are admitted to the clinic. Clear fluids include still water, black coffee and black tea.

Your perineum and pelvic floor repair will take place at our award-winning clinic in Chelsea.

You will be given a general anaesthetic to put you to sleep for the operation. In some cases the surgeon may use a local anaesthetic and sedation if appropriate.

Once the anaesthetic has taken effect, the surgeon will go through the vagina and use stitches to reconstruct the perineum while tightening the surrounding muscles and tissues to lift and support the pelvic organs. The surgeon may also make repairs to the front and rear walls of your vagina. Cuts in the vaginal wall are closed with dissolvable stitches. This means you will not have to return to the clinic to have any sutures removed.

The length of the procedure depends on the extent of your prolapse. Perineum and pelvic floor repair is performed as a day case.

Following your perineum and pelvic floor repair, you will recover in our ambulatory recovery rooms. You may feel a little drowsy but this often wears off within a few hours.  Once you are able to eat and drink, and our specialist nursing team are happy that your initial recovery is complete, you will be allowed to leave the clinic with a friend or family member.