Cystocele repair (anterior colporrhaphy) repairs the hernia of the wall between the bladder and vagina. This procedure can ease chronic discomfort from a bulging vagina and difficulty emptying the bladder.
Why Cystocele Repair?
This procedure offers many benefits. If you've been suffering from pain and bladder leakage, this may bring you much-needed relief.
At UVA, our surgeons can perform a cystocele repair with expert, fast accuracy. We do everything can to make the experience easy and low-risk. The surgery involves:
- A small vaginal incision, no abdominal incision
- No hospital stay (same-day surgery or just overnight)
- Fast recovery time (2-3 weeks or less)
What to Expect
In this outpatient procedure, your surgeon makes an opening in the layer between the vagina and the bladder and reinforces these tissues with strong sutures. The stitches dissolve within a few months and don't need to be removed.
A typical recovery period is 2-3 weeks. Your doctor may prescribe pain medication.
You can begin regular physical activity within hours of your procedure, but you should refrain from sex for six weeks.
Before you leave the hospital, you'll schedule a post-op appointment between 4-6 weeks after surgery.
Possible Complications
Your doctor will discuss any possible complications, such as:
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Damage to bladder
- Pain with intercourse
- Difficulty emptying the bladder
- Blood clot in the legs or lungs (rare)