Post Partum Fissure & LIS success so far

Post Partum Fissure & LIS success so far

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Post Partum Fissure & LIS success so far

Postby postpartumfissure » 12 Aug 2017, 06:51

Hello

I wanted to share my experience as someone who has been reading this forum for the past 3 months.

I'm based in the UK & gave birth to a baby girl 3 months ago with forceps & episoitomy delivery. Following the birth I was plied with coedine for my repair pain which I willingly took however this led to a 5 day constipation (not helped by fear of going to the toilet from the stitches). Needles to say my first BM led to a fissure which at first wasn't so bad but over the next few months got increasingly worse with painful BM's and spasm's lasting 6-8 hours.

I spent the last 2 months attempting to look after my first baby with this incredibly pain which led to me feeling really depressed. I had to throw in the towel on breastfeeding because sitting down was too painful.

My GP was less than helpful and actually didn't diagnose a fissure initially, suggesting I was suffering from post birth heomroids alone. I got a second opinion and the fissure was diagnosed by the NHS and I was prescribed a 4-6 week course Movicol, Fibrogel & Dialtiziam - I also altered my diet to fruit & veg only with 3 litres of water and was having 3 coconut oil baths a day and using vaseline pre BM.

Unfortunately no relief came and in fact despite soft stools it seemed to be getting worse. I went back to the NHS with tears in my eyes (and my crying baby). They suggested a few more weeks of treatment and then botox if unsucessful but the wait list would be 6 months for that. This made my mind up - I decided I needed to see a specialist so bit the bullet and had an appointment with a private CRS in London.

He was wonderful and made me feel very at ease - apparently this very common in new mothers! He couldn't examine me as I was in so much pain (I couldn't even sit down in his office) but he could see the edge of a nasty fissure. His advice was 2 more weeks of conservative treatment (creams, diet & laxative/fibre) and if no success and I was still in the same level of pain we would discuss LIS. He could see how desperate I was to be better and be able to care for my baby properly. He did talk through the risks but advised the incontinence rate was 0.5% and none of his thousands of patients had suffered this - only one case of temporary flatulence inctontinence. He also said in a women of my age (32) and who planned to have more children his incision would be far more conservative that that he would do for a male. This did mean it might not work but I did appreciate his level of honesty and care.

2 weeks of the same of routine passed - I had 2 slightly improved days but then the deadly spasms came back even with a soft stool so I called his secretary and booked LIS for the following. I was miserable. Lying on the sofa crying in spasm pain while rocking my 3.5 month old who was wailing.

We could not really afford the surgery in the private hospital (total cost £1750) but I borrowed some money from my father as we needed to move forward from this hell.

THE LIS SURGERY EXPERIENCE (4 days since surgery)

Day before surgery: I didn't eat much, just soup and veg with lots of water. I was incredibly nervous and questioning whether or not I had made the right decision. I made sure to have a BM that day which was of cours agony and for hours after so I knew I was doing the right thing


Day of surgery: arrived at private hospital at 7am incredibly nervous with my husband. My CRS came to see me and explained the process. He said if he found troublesome Hemmies then he would inject them. He explained he would be making a small conservative incision in my inner sphincter to help heal the fissure and It would only take 5 mins. He read through risks again and also went through recovery advice. Important notes:
- 3 x baths a day and keep area clean & dry
- Try BM as soon as possible within 24/48 hours max (do not get constipated)
- Rest!
- Ibuprofen & paracetamol only
- 1 firbrogel a day
- Lots of water
- Keep stool soft as possible
- Fruit & Veg diet
- He also noted that for the rest of my life i need to be careful with diet

I was taken down to surgery room, the aneathetist gave me soemthing to calm me as I'm not great with medical settings and had never been under GA. It worked..

POST SURGERY

Woke up on recovery room, had been out for 2 hours but surgery only took 10 minutes. The nurses were very reassuring, was wheeled back up to my room. Felt spaced out but no pain due to nerve blocker they put in during surgery. Had some soup and water and watched TV with husband. 1 hour later, boom, pain started to creep in - felt like a deep throbbing pain. Took some Ibu & Para and then we drove home. kept taking pain killers every 4 hours. Took a fibrogel, a dulcoease and a movico in prep for tomrrow Was in bed feeling groggy and a bit sore down belowand incredibly nervous about what tomorrow would bring.


1 DAY AFTER SURGERY

Didn't sleep great as pain in incision site kept waking me but I don't think I was great at staying on top of pain meds. Got up incredibly nervous. Downed a litre of water, had bran flakes and went for a waddle round block with husband and dog - picked up a coffee as was determined to get things moving and get the BM out rather than keep it in.
Have to say i was absolutely terrified. Drank coffee and ran the bath.

First BM - day after surgery
felt it coming on sat on toilet leaning forward on tiptoes and let it come. Had towel in my mouth. It was a little hard so had to strain a bit which is what I was told not to do but I wanted it out rather than in. Finally it came out and it was painful but a different pain from fissure pain. It was from the incision site. There was a bit of blood. I hopped in the tub immediately and it felt OK no spasms. Asked husband to help dry the area with a hairdryer (so romantic) he noted by bum was bruised and a bit swollen. I got into bed and watched movies all day and lay on my side as it hurt to lie on my back. Took Fibrogel, 3 x ducloease, ate only soup & veg and drank 3 litres of water. lots of ibuprofen & paractemol

DAY 3
Actioned same routine as morning before, Short waddle outside to get things moving, coffee then dreaded movement. Thank goodness my BM was softer and came out easier due to water and diet. It wasn't pain free but the pain was from the incision site and there was less blood. Hoped straight in bath and was surprised at how little pain I felt. No spasms. I still havent sat on my bum, I took it easy again today and ate and drank well. Experienced some sharp pains throughout the day but nothing unmanageable. A little discomfort in the night but just a dull ache. 3 x dulcoease, 1 x fibrogel & vegetables and 3 litres of water.

DAY 4
Same routine as day before but slept in a little. Woke up panicking about doing a BM. Had coffee and sat down on toilet. BM was super soft and slid out and I had ZERO pain or blood. Hopped in bath to clean myself for 20 minutes. Slight stinging afterwards but nothing too bad.

That brings me to today.

I wanted to share this, I know it's early days but I feel like I have my life back and Im on the road to recovery. I will keep up the diet, fibre & softeners for the next 6 weeks and I've made the decision to become a vegetarian for the foreseeable which I'm a little saddened about as I love meat but I think I need to heal properly and diet has a huge part to play.

Have my first follow up wit CRS next week. After the surgery he said the fissure was very deep and unlikely would have healed without this help so I feel like i've made the right decision for me.

Living with a fissure is miserable, I only did it for 3.5 months and I know some people live with it for years. My baby and being a good mum was so important to me so I rushed into it but 4 days post op and I don't regret it and I wanted to share my LIS experience so it can help others make the decision.

I will update next week.

My heart goes out to anyone suffering, you're all so brave!
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Re: Post Partum Fissure & LIS success so far

Postby Katie » 08 Oct 2017, 13:24

I have read your story and feel your pain my fissure happened 3 weeks after I had my son! And that was 12 years ago! I have had two ops,5 bottox injections and lots of cream! In the end last week I begged for the lis my surgeon does not like doing them but she said she would do it if I had one more bottox which I had on Wednesday just gone I'm seeing her in dec to talk about the lis! It's been a long road!
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Re: Post Partum Fissure & LIS success so far

Postby Ash1988 » 26 Oct 2017, 10:18

Hi,

I just wanted to say I
Am in the same position as you! Forceps and episiotomy during delivery 5 months ago! Currently trying GTN cream, which seemed to heal one fissure whilst another has appeared!

I wanted to know how you found your CRS as I am also in UK!

Are you still feeling good after your LIS? I really don’t know what to do and it is really affecting my life with my baby
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Re: Post Partum Fissure & LIS success so far

Postby Katie » 29 Oct 2017, 15:58

I got my surgeon after my doctor wrote to the hospital I have not had the lis yet as they make you go through all the creams and bottox and clean up ops first cos I have tryed all these there is nothing left but the lis! I'm so scaryed about having it done but I can't see another way out of the life you have to life with a fissure!!!!! I have known people have it done and after healing have got there life back!!! X
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Re: Post Partum Fissure & LIS success so far

Postby postpartumfissure » 31 Oct 2017, 06:10

Hi Ash & Katie

Sorry for the delay in coming back. Baby life has taken over!

The good news is that the LIS surgery has fully given me my life back. I'm now 3 months post surgery and it was 100% the best decision.

My surgeon was Dr Stephen Warren who is based in London and operates from 3 different hospitals all north & east. The surgery cost me around about £3k which was a big blow really given I'm not receiving any sort of maternity pay but I have to say it was the best money I've ever spent. I went from chronic daily depressing pain to very little pain and then no pain.

Dr Warren said that there is no way my fissure would have healed with creams or botox, when he operated he said the fissure was so deep he could see the muscle hence the insane spasming and not being able to sit down or drive! The NHS would not offer me the LIS due to the risks they believe to be associated with it and they prefer you persist with the creams but that wasn't an option for me. I was miserable and my quality of life was so bad. Mr Warren ensure he made a conservative incision so as to avoid the risks... also he advised it was so important i stuck to a good diet and 2 x daily fibrogel. The week after surgery I only ate soup and ellas kitchen!

since surgery Ive had a few instances where i've become ever so slightly constipated and i've seen blood on the paper. This of course sends me into a spin of anxiety because I think I'm going to go back to the place I was before in daily pain but it's happened because I've been lazy with missing my 2 x fibrogel a day. I fix it each time by taking laxative and eating only fruit and veg and I don't ever get the spasming pain. That's now gone.

I now have to commit to a lifetime of a high fibre diet and lots of water but I guess that's not so bad!

My advice would be that if you're in agonising pain - go and see a CRS and discuss your options. My quality of life is 100% better than it was during those dark months of that nasty fissure.

Good luck ladies. As if having a baby isn't hard enough
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Re: Post Partum Fissure & LIS success so far

Postby Katie » 31 Oct 2017, 16:24

Thankyou for your message back when I saw my surgeon in Oct she said she would give me my lis if I had one more bottox which I did! I see her on the 5th dec so we will then talk about the lis I don't want it this side of christmas! I'm just so scaryed I might get infection and end up with an fistula again! !!! Like I did with my first op! Were was the cut done with the lis? And was it left open to heal?
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Re: Post Partum Fissure & LIS success so far

Postby Sarah8818 » 17 Apr 2018, 18:17

You give me hope that things can get better. I’ve got a 2and half year old and a 5 month old and this fissure has ruined mine and their lives! I can’t lesve house anymore due to horrendous spasms that last all day. Had Botox last Wednesday so week tomorrow and no further forward :-(
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Re: Post Partum Fissure & LIS success so far

Postby Katie » 21 Apr 2018, 13:21

My first bottox did not kick in for about 4 ish weeks I had my lis in Jan of this year so 14 weeks this monday! I'm loads better still healing as I had my fissure for 12 and a half years! It going to take time! I see my surgeon on the 1st may! Xx
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Re: Post Partum Fissure & LIS success so far

Postby Sarah8818 » 22 Apr 2018, 12:31

That’s good to hear. Why on earth did you have it so long? You poor thing xx
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Re: Post Partum Fissure & LIS success so far

Postby Katie » 26 Apr 2018, 07:06

I was only young did not really want to get it looked at felt embarrassed! Throught it woukd go away! X
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