Can Pelvic Surgery Help You?
BY JAMES HALEY, MD, FACOG, FPMRS
Do you have a constant urge to go to the bathroom? Do you sometimes not make it in time? That is what Susan experienced. To make it worse, she would leak throughout the day. Susan also was dealing with urinary tract infections that were not responding to antibiotics. All these symptoms were affecting her quality of life. She knew she could not live like this any longer, so she made an appointment with her OB/GYN. Susan’s doctor told her that she had pelvic organ prolapse. This happens when the muscles and tissues supporting the pelvic organs (the uterus, bladder or rectum) become weak or loose. This allows one or more of the pelvic organs to drop or press into or out of the vagina. Since surgery was the best option to fix the problem, Susan began researching, and discovered that many doctors perform this surgery by cutting through the abdomen. This was not what she wanted, so Susan continued to research and learned that certain doctors have the expertise to perform this surgery vaginally, which would be less intrusive and typically would require less recovery time. She knew she needed an expert in the field. “I was thrilled to pieces that I found a doctor with the knowledge and expertise I was looking for,” Susan said.
Susan needed a total vaginal hysterectomy, and an anterior, posterior and enterocele repair. At 65 years old, Susan knew the longer she waited, the harder the recovery could be. She immediately scheduled the surgery. The pelvic prolapse surgery was a success, and, after only a 24-hour hospital stay, Susan went home to recuperate. She spent the following three weeks at home before returning to work on a limited-activity basis, as she was still healing and dealing with some discomfort. Three months later, Susan was feeling back to normal. All her pre-surgery symptoms were gone, and she was extremely happy that she took the time to do her research. Finding an expert in pelvic prolapse surgery made all the difference to Susan’s quality of life, and she encourages other women to do the same. “If you are experiencing such life-altering symptoms, you don’t have to just accept them and think that it is something you have to live with,” Susan said. “Seek help and find a doctor who is an expert.” Dr. James Haley is a double board-certified OB/ GYN and Urogynecologist with Cherokee Women’s Health Specialists in Canton and Woodstock. He was a patients’ pick in a survey by Atlanta magazine on top area doctors.
AROUND WOODSTOCK | September 2020
33
