SRS complication

[kimbee777]

Just a little back round: I'm 22 and had my SRS w/ Dr. Bower's 2.5 weeks ago. She told my mom everything went perfect after the surgery. I have been very diligent w/ my aftercare and 3x daily dialating. However, a week after surgery when her office staff removed the packing(I was disturbed that Dr. Bower's doesn't do that herself...), I noticed the right side of the vaginal entrance looked strange. They didn't say anything so I figured it was normal and was just swelling or something. Fast forward two weeks later and it turns out my stitches came loose on the bottom and whole right side of the entrance of the vaginal canal. There's basically about an inch of raw, exposed skin. I saw my gyno and he didn't seem very concerned, just to keep it clean and dry, and it should heal itself. I'm scared to move up in size w/ dialators because it seems like it's just going to rip the skin more and more. Anyway I'm just wondering if any of you had this same complication? I've never heard it mentioned before. I'm kind of angry because Marci didn't even discuss complications with me before surgery. I called her two days ago and she still hasn't returned my call. I heard stories about her being non existent after surgery maybe I should of believed them. I'm not in much pain just a constant throbbing feeling on the whole genital area, and I definitely can't sit yet!

Also, after surgery Dr. bower's told me I had 5.5 in depth, yet when I dialate it only goes in a little over 4in. Could it be swelling? When I dialate I make sure to go as deep as possible before it starts to hurt, and apply firm and constant pressure against the back wall. I'm just disappointed since 5in seemed more ideal.

[Dena]

Welcome to Susan's Place. A nurse removed my packing as well but the doctor would swing through and take a quick glance at it to make sure everything was going well. I don't know about changing the dilator size and I am not sure what I would do in a case like that but I would most likely stay with the small dilator for a few more days until I get ahold of the doctor or I heal enough that I could use the larger dilator without fear of damage.

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[Karen_A]

Hi Kim,

There are no standards for how to measure vaginal depth and you can get significantly different measurements depending on how one does it... which may be part of the discrepancy...

But also right after sugary that area is VERY swollen which also cause "deeper" measurements.

One thing to be aware of is that in my experience  depth and width are related to a degree... the bigger the diameter of the dilator the less the apparent depth...

But in any case don't worry to much about that now... once healed you can add a bit of depth (and width) with firm dilations over time that stretch things. (particularly if did not need graft - the graft suture line scar tissue is a lot less stretchy)


I'm sorry you and an issue post sugary, but if your gyno is not worried then you should not be.

Easier said... I know how scary post-op complications can be... In my case I had a significant amount of clitoral necrosis - lost about half of the exposed tissue - and it scared the heck out of me.

I just follow the doctors advice and you should be fine in the long run.

- Karen

[kimbee777]

Thank you Karen! I'm sorry you had the necrosis, I have heard a lot of girls get that. I knew I would likely have at least one complication but it's still scary, especially since I'm all the way in New England and my Dr in in California. I'm just focusing on resting and taking care of myself.

[Karen_A]

I knew I would likely have at least one complication but it's still scary, especially since I'm all the way in New England and my Dr in in California.

I am in New England  and my Doctor was in Oregon so I know that feeling too.

I'm just focusing on resting and taking care of myself.

And that is what you should be doing.

Take Care,
- Karen

[Jenna Marie]

I had one stitch pop open in about the same area (that's one of the spots under the most tension, especially during dilation, so it's not surprising). I'm not even sure I'd call it a complication, it was so minor. The spot was definitely raw and sore for longer than the properly stitched places, but it did heal up fine on its own, and there's not even a scar now. It sounds as though you may have had a slightly larger set of stitches give way, which is probably going to be more uncomfortable in the short run but shouldn't be serious.

The one caveat is that a) my surgeon got right back to me when I asked and sent pictures and b) he clarified that he uses several sets of stitches, one for each layer of skin, so that all that had broken was one of the surface stitches (the deeper layers were still solidly connected) and there was no real risk beyond discomfort. I don't know Bowers' methods, and it's concerning that she won't answer you.

However, I have questions about the advice to keep the area clean and dry - do the best you can, of course, but that spot is VERY hard to keep dry or perfectly clean.  A gyno should know that.

[kimbee777]

Hey Jenna, your experience sounds similiar to mine, but I think mine is quite deep, I don't really know how to describe it but I can see quite deep into the area. My doctor just meant to let the area air dry really well after taking baths/showers, as moisture can cause incisions to loosen more and increase risk of infection. It's basically the same injury that happens when pregnant women rip their fourchette area during childbirth. And yes, it's a hard area to keep clean with all the dialating! I'm glad your healed up well!

[Jenna Marie]

That does sound quite a bit more severe than mine was, and is another reason to hope you hear from the surgeon directly - I can't imagine Bowers doesn't also do layers of stitches, but from the sound of things, you have an incision open past the first layer of skin. The comparison to cis women in childbirth is a good one... but they sometimes need stitches, too! Although I'd expect that a gyn would know whether this was a severe enough tear to justify re-stitching, and since he probably sees a lot of similar injuries, his judgment ought to be reliable when he says "relatively clean and dry" should suffice.

[Debra]

YEP! I had the same experience with Dr. Bowers as well.

Yeah nurse took it out, etc.

Anyway, I had a lot of swelling so when I got home, I did notice after a couple weeks that some of the stitches were coming out and it was showing that gross red exposed skin.

I ended up having to have my family doctor at home give me several silver nitrate treatments on the exposed red skin stuff to help cautorize it. I also saw Marci again after about 3 months (she has an office where I live too) and she did a silver nitrate treatment herself as well.

Hold fast to your dilating, it's important!

[AnonyMs]

I ended up having to have my family doctor at home give me several silver nitrate treatments on the exposed red skin stuff to help cautorize it. I also saw Marci again after about 3 months (she has an office where I live too) and she did a silver nitrate treatment herself as well.

Isn't that granulation?

Granulation Tissue
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php?topic=99978.0

[kimbee777]

Hey Debra, I'm still dialating 3x daily as instructed, it's actually going fine. I'm just concerned about moving up to the next dialator next week as it's going to stretch the skin more. Was your exposed skin granulation tissue? Because my doctor just told me to keep it clean and dry, as it should heal itself. I'm going to the doctor again next month so they can see if its healing.
Glad you're doing well now!

[Debra]

Isn't that granulation?

Granulation Tissue
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php?topic=99978.0

Yes it is.

[Debra]

Because my doctor just told me to keep it clean and dry, as it should heal itself. I'm going to the doctor again next month so they can see if its healing.
Glad you're doing well now!

That's what they say.....it's kinda odd. But I dont know if they mean years? Or what? Or maybe I just had an excess amount? So silver nitrate was the way to 'fix' it.

[Jenna Marie]

Granulation is basically just part of the healing process, like a scab; I think it's part of how new skin grows. But sometimes that step in the process doesn't *stop* when it's supposed to, and instead of getting new skin, you get a patch of granulation that just keeps expanding. I'm guessing that the question of "when is it too much" is half time frame and half expert opinion. The silver nitrate basically damages the area and starts the healing process all over in the hopes that it will complete properly.

(I had all of this very patiently explained to me when I freaked out that there was granulation across a huge portion of the healing area; Brassard's nurses told me to be patient and see if it started to transform into healing skin or not.)

[karenpayneoregon]

Hello, I had surgery from Marci, as with you the packing was removed by her assistant, shown how to dilate and was measured at 5.5 inches (two years later, still the same depth and width). About a month after surgery things did not look well, Marci asked for a photo, her response was it was a non issue and should go away within about a week which it did.

Talking to others who used different surgeons, their packing was removed by assistants too so it seems common practice for this.

[AnonyMs]

For what it's worth Suporn removes the packing and shows you how to dilate personally.