Post-op aftercare tips?

[PinkCloud]

My last day in the hospital was a bit hectic, not much time was taken for me to explain everything. I wasn't told to dilate until next week. Walking with a catheter still, and now I notice yellow spots on the small labia? also a sticky substance between the labia majora. Still looks red and the area around the catheter is still blackish. I was told to only use tapwater to clean the area.

Does anyone has any tips for aftercare? or some good website explaining it? I want to get my maximum health, and right now I feel like nothing is happening.

What are your best aftercare tips?

[suzifrommd]

My last day in the hospital was a bit hectic, not much time was taken for me to explain everything. I wasn't told to dilate until next week. Walking with a catheter still, and now I notice yellow spots on the small labia? also a sticky substance between the labia majora. Still looks red and the area around the catheter is still blackish. I was told to only use tapwater to clean the area.

Does anyone has any tips for aftercare? or some good website explaining it? I want to get my maximum health, and right now I feel like nothing is happening.

What are your best aftercare tips?

Demand that your surgeon's office answer any an all questions to your satisfaction. That is their responsibility.

My aftercare involved solely following my surgeon's advice - sticking to her dilation schedule and cleaning the site exactly when and how she described.

[Jenna Marie]

Yeah, unfortunately, "ask the surgeon" is the best advice here. Different surgeons have different opinions - some recommend douching, some sitz baths, some hands-on cleaning and some not - so there's no way to know what would be best for your specific situation.

It *does* sound like you might want to do a bit more cleaning than plain water, but who knows.

[Vicky]

I have to join the line here and say ask the surgeon or their staff.  If you cannot talk to the surgeon or their staff, then it is time to find a Gynecologist who is familiar with vaginal surgery post op care for natal females.

I was generally following my surgeon's routine until I got home, but some added little thrills of pain ended up with my seeing a Gynecologist near my home.  Instructions changed, and I followed the new ones.  I had enabled my local doctors to speak with my surgeon, and vice versa and they all teamed up to help me based on what they actually saw.  Not fun since I did have a yeast infection, but with MD's looking at the stuff it went fine. 

[mrs izzy]

This is a good general reference.

Always follow your surgeons instructions for best aftercare.

http://web.archive.org/web/20060101062914/http://www.intelleng.com/zen.html

[PinkCloud]

This is a good general reference.

Always follow your surgeons instructions for best aftercare.

http://web.archive.org/web/20060101062914/http://www.intelleng.com/zen.html

Thanks! explains a lot! now I know what those yellow things are: sloughed tissue

[Flan]

Wet TP (not necessarily "wet wipes" because they can't be flushed) was my go to for feeling fresh.

edit: wet tp is also good for catheter care where you don't have access to peri wash *because* it's shamelessly tossable

As far as removing the dark stuff (coagulated blood/tissue?) some gentle rubbing with hydrogen peroxide on a paper towel might help (but make sure the surgeon is ok with it because don't want to bleed in case it's covering healing tissue).

[Cindy]

Your after care seems to have been rather unprofessional. Can you share with us who the surgeon was?

I think many of us pre-ops would be very interested.