Hi everyone. My spouse is having another issue that we are worried about and need some outside advice. Her dilations have gotten significantly more difficult. The doctor says we are in the contracting stage and this is to be expected. But my spouse also has white, hard tissue about the size of a coin at the bottom of the vagina. This appears to be making it painful upon dilator entry. She also has similar white spots in the folds of the labia. Doc says it's scar tissue and is sending an Estrace cream prescription. Has anyone had experience with this? If so how did you resolve it? And has anyone else has dilation get more difficult at this point in healing? She can barely get the tip of number 4 dilator inserted. Thanks.

I had a little of this white granulation tissue a few months after SRS. My white spots had to be excised off more than once and after about 14 months , I do not have any granulation. The Estrace Cream will help some, but it may need to be excised as well. Everybody heals their own way. Just do not stop dilating, no matter how much it hurts. Use the largest dilator you can as often as you can. Dilation definitely helps healing.

Thanks for the reply. I'm hoping we won't have to have these removed surgically or by the doctor. I guess all we can do is try the cream for now and hope for the best.

Surgery normally isn't required for healing issues however a doctor is. A nitrate stick is used to burn the tissue giving it a chance to heal properly. For small issues, it may only take 2 or three visits to get problems under control. A major issue might require more visits.

I am confused as to what this looks like. I have white areas that I was told was dead skin areas. I also have whiteish clear areas that I was told was scar tissue formation. I use hydrocortisone on the latter areas. Wonder which you are seeing.
Moni

I had a lot of this. It is scar tissue. ( I had granulation too but that is different and had three or four treatments for the granulation ). Dilation became a very painful and tearful event. It came along progressively and then all the sudden wham super painful. I was prescribed hydrocortisone cream and if it that did not work well enough then the doctor was going to prescribe estrogen cream. I think the estrogen cream would have worked better and quicker. I should have called them and got the e-cream.

The scar tissue was under a layer of tissue that had to removed by dry packing. The top layer did not survive and scar tissue was underneath. I had a large amount of it. I had a lot of scar tissue and I did not have a lot of material for my vaginal canal. Dilation became very very painful. I did not miss a single dilation. I was told to decrease in dilator number and maintain depth if I had to. Also, I could increase width later. I really needed to get through the pain ( why I can not tell you and I should have called and got the e cream)  and used breathing. I blew off a lot of CO2 which helped. I used ample lube and used a slight rotation motion a little bit in at a time. Once I got past a point it became ok. Not good but ok.

I can remember dilating at work on the floor with tears coming down my face saying to myself I can not keep doing this but then somewhere inside I just kept it going in a little at a time using a very alight twisting motion and advancing a little at a time. My 30 minute dilations took 45 or so minutes because it took 15 minutes to get the orange dilator in and then I started my timing count.

It took a while but the hydrocortisone cream worked. I still use it and it comes 2 tubes per script and has 10 refills. It causes the scar tissue to relax and stretch a bit. The e cream should work.

I would keep in contact with the doctor. One thing I thought about after the pain period when I was going to an electrolysis appointment. I thought would the lidocaine cream have helped? I never asked the doctor as this was after the scar tissue had relaxed and expanded a bit. I was thinking of asking the doctor about this because I wanted to increase my vaginal canal diameter greater than 1.5 inches but the pain is very high when I try. I see my doctor Nov. 20 for a vaginal procedure and it is a question I will ask her.

Moni, it's scar tissue. It's about the size of a dime, at the bottom of the opening of the vagina. I thought it was getting better, but she's almost in tears struggling with the pain and the difficulty getting the dilators in, esp the orange. The labia spots don't have any pain, so maybe they are something different.

Rachel that is exactly what my spouse is experiencing. We have been using over the counter hydrocortisone cream but it hasn't seemed to make a difference. So, I guess we are on the right track with the Estrace then. We might try some of the dry packing too just to see if it will help. At this point we will try anything. And the lidocaine cream, great idea. I will buy some tomorrow. I think that will help.

Thanks everyone. I think we have a plan of action.

I had the top layer of graph die and the material turned cream in color. Papillion had me dry pack until the layor was gone. The packing is a cheese cloth consistency. It is stringy and not smooth. The purpose is to grab onto the skin and remove it. It must be changed when dilating and at every pee.

It is important to remove the material as it is a place where bacteria likes to grow.

I helped the process by lightly rubbing the dead skin with some packing material when I dilated.

Talk to your doctor.

My scar tissue is large on the bottom and stop of the of the vaginal entrance. I  just use hydroquartizone perscription strength cream,. I was originally directed to use over the counter. I should have called and got the e-cream. I will ask for the e cream Nov 20 for the purpose of softening and relaxing the vaginal tissue.

I also want to use the e cream to help soften the laser scar tissue on the rim of my vaginal canal.  I stretch the rim each day and that has helped greatly. However, I started that after the rim was healed 6 months.

Rachel

I seem to have a small spot of granulation, an area of scar tissue formation that has grown some, and an area of the white that the packing hasn't removed. I think I might try slightly rubbing the white area. I am sending in a picture. I had been doing that each week  until the week in the dark hotel room for the funeral. I don't think the over the counter stuff is working. Luckily none of it is affecting dilation at this point. Sorry for your partner's pain Marc, that sounds very difficult to deal with. Thank you Rachel, you are always so helpful.
Moni