Patient & Family Education for Pelvic Floor Repair

ANTERIOR-POSTERIOR COLPORRHAPHY AND OR BLADDER SLING

Day of procedure immediately after:
**You will be transferred from recovery to a room on one of the short stay surgical units.
**Your nurse will take your vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, respiration and temperature) frequently and check the amount of vaginal bleeding and urine output.
**You will have pain medication ordered, which can be given upon request.
**You may have Sequential Compression Device (SCD) on your legs to prevent inflammation (phlebitis) and the formation of blood clots in your legs.
**Your nurse will explain how to do “peri care” which you should do after going to the bathroom.
**You may have a Foley catheter to drain urine from your bladder.
**You may have vaginal gauze packing that will be removed in the morning.
Things to do after arriving to your short stay hospital room:
**Do the coughing and deep breathing exercises every 2 hours while awake
**Turn from side to side. If you need help, the nursing staff will assist you. You will be helped to get out of bed.
**Take your pain medication to make sure you are comfortable to increase your activity and do the coughing and deep breathing exercises. The nurse will ask you to rate your pain using the pain scale.
**If you need anything while in the short stay unit, please ask the nurses on duty, they are there to help make you comfortable.
Day 1 after surgery:
**Do deep breathing 10 times every hour while awake to expand the lungs
**Get out of bed with the nursing staff’s help. Try to sit in the chair for 2 hours. Change your position frequently. You may need to be helped to walk around the room and in the hallway.
**Take your pain medication as needed to enable you to increase your activity.
**You should continue to do “peri care”
**You will have a blood test done in the morning.
**The Foley catheter, vaginal packing and SCD leggings will be removed in the morning and your IV will be removed when discharge orders have been given by Dr. Swor.
**You will be able to resume your usual diet.
**Your pain medication will be changed to pill form.
**Some patients will have difficulty emptying the bladder after pelvic floor surgery. The residual urine will be checked after you try to void. If the bladder is not emptying well enough, then you will either have a catheter replaced or be taught how to use a small straight catheter to empty the bladder after voiding attempts.
**The nurse will discuss the discharge plan with you. If Home Health care is needed, it will be arranged for you by the nursing staff, or by Dr. Swor. Also, if needed, a social worker is available.
**If you have any questions regarding your pre and post operative care, please contact our office at 941-330-8885.