To say I was devastated when I discovered a rectal prolapse less than six months following the surgical repair which led to my requiring a blood transfusion was an understatement. I had the transfusion, abscess, and now a complete failure of the surgery itself. My body was exhausted, my emotions depleted, and the correct surgery was definitely major surgery.
It was in-hospital with a five-day stay. The incision went from belly button to bikini line. I don't recall the exact medical steps but it was basically pulling the rectum up. I was told some of my colon might have to be removed and a very small part of it only, thank goodness, had to be excised. A mesh sling holds my colon up so it doesn't place pressure on the rectum. In preparation for the surgery, Dr. McKenna recommended an epidural for pain. I had always been terrified of anything going into my spine.
The day of my pre-admission testing and consultation, I argued ardently against it. The anesthesiologist said the pain would likely be unbearable without it. I relented and signed the release. The morning of surgery I was terrified of the epidural because it had to be done while I was wide awake. I was taken to a room where I was surrounded by good looking young interns. lol. One person reassuringly held onto me and told me everything that was going on. Honestly, there was no pain. I was so relieved to hear "it's in". Apparently having an epidural was a procedure not often viewed by interns or they had a new class but I had plenty of reassuring looks and hand holding.
Following surgery and for the next four days, I was amazingly pain free. The wire had actually just come loose and I was feeling around for it when Dr. McKenna's team came in for their daily rounds. They said they were there to see if the epidural line should be removed. When I said I thought it had just come out they said that was highly unlikely and the team leader went behind me. He held up the wire that had indeed come loose and announced, "The epidural is officially removed." Another lol.
A morphine drip was hooked up immediately. From no pain to OMG pain in a matter of hours. I requested oral painkillers about six hours later because the morphine seemed to do nothing. Pain was manageable with the oxycodone or hydrocodone, whichever they gave me, and I was released on Day 5.
After several follow up visits, I realized there was still some weirdness which turned out to be a mucosal prolapse. Dr. McKenna had warned me that, because of what Dr. DeLeo had done, he wasn't able to guarantee the outcome. Had he been the first to repair it correctly, he could have pretty much guaranteed there would be no more prolapses. This secondary prolapse was not as large and was manageable. While the doctor had described what he could do to "fix" it, he must have been having a bad day because it was something he would have done in his office without anesthesia. He stated it rather gruffly leaving me to believe I was a pain in his *ss. I was not going to have anything to do with a repair without anesthesia. I hoped exercise over time might tighten the muscles and lift it naturally. It did create pressure from the inside; however that didn't become as noticeable until after my bladder therapy.
While I was urinating up to 20 times a day, I kept being advised the bladder would have to be the last of the three orifices to be addressed. Finally I was referred to the bladder specialist.
P.S. More to come about Dr. McKenna and repair of the mucosal prolapse. He became very caring and respectful with help from my family doctor. Dr. McKenna was, to me, like Dr. House. The best surgeon...no bedside manner. I wouldn't have wanted anyone else doing the repair.
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