Anterior vaginal wall repair is surgery that tightens the front (anterior) wall of the vagina.
This procedure may be done while you are under general or spinal anesthesia. Under general anesthesia, you will be asleep and unable to feel pain. With spinal anesthesia, you will be awake, but you will be numb from the waist down and you will not feel pain.
You will be given medicines to help you relax.
Usually, a surgical cut (incision) is made through the front wall of your vagina.
Sometimes, your doctor also makes a surgical cut in your belly. This may be up and down or across.
This procedure is used to repair the sinking of the vaginal wall (prolapse) or bulging that occurs when the bladder or urethra sink into the vagina.
Symptoms of prolapse that you may have include:
This surgery by itself does not treat stress incontinence (leaking urine when you cough, sneeze, or lift). It may be performed along with other surgeries.
Before doing this surgery, your doctor may have you learn pelvic floor muscle exercises (Kegel exercises), use estrogen cream in your vagina, or try a device called a pessary in your vagina to hold up the prolapse.
Risks for any surgery are:
Risks for this surgery are:
Always tell your doctor or nurse what drugs you are taking, even drugs, supplements, or herbs you bought without a prescription.
During the days before the surgery:
On the day of your surgery:
You may have a catheter to drain urine for 1 or 2 days after surgery.
You will be on a liquid diet right after surgery. When your normal bowel function returns, you can return to your regular diet.
This surgery will usually repair the prolapse, and most times symptoms of prolapse will go away. This improvement will often last for years.
A/P repair; Vaginal wall repair; Anterior and/or posterior vaginal wall repair; Colporrhaphy - repair of vaginal wall; Cystocele repair
Herschorn S. Vaginal reconstructive surgery for sphincteric incontinence and prolapse. In: Wein AJ, ed. Campbell-Walsh Urology. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 66.
Jia X, Glazener C, Mowatt G, et al. Efficacy and safety of using mesh or grafts in surgery for anterior and/or posterior vaginal wall prolapse: systematic review and meta-analysis. BJOG. 2008 Oct;115(11):1350-61.
Reviewed by: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc., and Scott Miller, MD, Urologist in private practice in Atlanta, Georgia.
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