Hello everyone,
I'm scheduled to have my vaginoplasty in 9 days and wanted to share my story with the hope of helping anyone thinking about doing the procedure. My backstory is that I am a 34 y/o mother of 4. I had all vaginal births. The birth weight of each child from oldest to youngest was 7lbs11oz, 8lbs10oz, 9lbs05oz, 7lbs,00oz.
With my first birth, I had an episiotomy. The doctor stitched me so tight that most of my stitches tore during a bowel movement even though I was on stool softener. I went to the ER and the doctor said it was better to let it heal open rather than re-stitching it because of all the damage. To this day I'm not sure if this was the right decision. I honestly didn't experience any vaginal symptoms other than extreme tightness for 6 months because the stitches closer to my vaginal opening stayed intact.
My problems truly started in 2015 with my 3rd child, who was 9lbs5oz. His head came down really quickly and I felt something 'snap' inside me. However, when I was checked after I had no tearing. I lost all feeling inside my vagina for about a year and also much felt looser. I regained full feeling around 2018-2019 but I constantly felt like my partner was going to slip out.
After my last child in 2019, who was the smallest, the slipping out feeling got worse plus I started to feel pressure in my rectum when having sex. I also had a hemorrhoid during my pregnancy that was the size of a large grape and left hanging skin after it disappeared. I really felt discouraged at this point and decided to look into getting things fixed.
At my consultation with Dr. G, he pointed out to me that my vaginal laxity was at least 3 fingers wide (I can fit 4 of mine) and I have a lot of scar tissue on my perineum from my births. He also noted the it's likely I had a muscle tear as my rectum is pushing up into my vagina. This most likely explains the ripping sensation I felt plus the pressure in my rectum during sex.
The plan is to reduce my vaginal width to about 2 fingers, repair my perineal muscles and cut out the scar tissue. I'm really looking forward to getting my life back because this with other body issues has weigh heavy on my self esteem and affected my sex life. My partner says he can't tell the difference but I definitely can.
Updated on 17 Dec 2020:
I can't believe I am only 5 days out from surgery! I did my covid testing on Tuesday and received all my preop instructions. Here are so some pictures of the supplies I've purchased. It may seem like a lot but I'm also getting some other things done as well. I'm so excited and nervous at the same time!
Updated on 24 Dec 2020:
Hi everyone. So I had my surgery and wanted to give you a day by day of my experience and recovery. I'm feeling kind of drowsy so please forgive me if my thoughts are some what scattered.
The day of my surgery I arrived at the clinic around 1230. I was scheduled to have surgery at 130 but it got pushed back to 3. I had a mommy makeover so my other surgeries were scheduled first and Dr. G was scheduled to do my vaginoplasty after. I met with him virtually to go over the plan and he answered my remaining questions.
All the staff were amazing and kind. I went into the OR and I was given a spinal first. After that, I was put to sleep and don't remember much after that. I woke up in recovery around 9 pm and my nurse really took good care of me. I just remember my throat feeling really dry because I was intubated. I stayed there for about 3 hours and she got me up to walk and try to urinate. I got really dizzy and sick when standing, I usually have a low blood pressure so that probably has a lot to do with it. It took me about 20 minutes to get any urine out because I also had a tummy tuck and couldn't use those muscles well. The pain was bearable at this point because I was given a lot of medications.
When I was discharged to my husband, my nurse told me to just take Tylenol (and not the Oxy I was prescribed) because she was afraid I'd get nauseous. She also told me to sleep on my back propped up. She meant well but this was really bad advice for me and things really took a horrible turn.
Firstly, when my pain meds started to wear off, I realized quickly that this was the worse pain I had ever been in in my life. It was to the point I thought being dead would have been better. Out of all the procedures I had done, the vaginoplasty was by far the most painful thing I've ever experienced. I thought that by having 4 kids that I was prepared for anything but this pain is much different and hard to describe. We had to call the clinic in the middle of the night and they said that I should not have been told to just take Tylenol, and that I need to be taking the Oxy every 4 hours on the dot. I had packing (gauze) inside my vagina that made it feel like a baby's head was stuck there and not coming out.
Laying on my back was also impossible because the pressure from my bum intensified the pain in my vagina and rectum. Once, I took my pain meds I felt much better and was able to sleep on my side but any pressures on my butt could be felt through the pain meds. I was told to come into the clinic the next day for an appointment where the would take out the packing and my other doctor would check my other incisions.
After the surgery, I was only able to stomach a piece of toast with some fruit. Because I have a binder on for my tummy tuck, this made me have to pee often and again my husband had to help my out of bed. I was also drinking a lot from being dehydrated. I was wearing a Depends underwear although there wasn't much bleeding. I would say the amount of blood on the underwear was similar to a light period.
At this point I would say, you definitely need help especially if your combining procedures. Not being able to use my ab muscles has made the experience a lot more difficult but by far the pain from the vaginoplasty and the packing inside was the hardest to deal with. My husband has to help me with everything from walking to even moving. His been managing my medications for me because I've been to drowsy and I'm honestly so grateful for him.
Updated on 24 Dec 2020:
Like I mentioned in my other post, I had a really rough night. There was a point where the pain was so bad I begged my husband to take the packing out but he stood strong and comforted me until my medication kicked in. After taking my pain meds twice according the schedule I was able to get some sleep. That morning, I was scheduled to go into the clinic to do my post op appointment with my other doctor. By the time I got there, I was in a lot pain because I had to sit right on my incision during the drive. I think some sort of donut cushion would have been beneficial for me to take the pressure off but I didn't prepare for that. The clinic was running behind schedule, so by the time I got into the clinic my pain meds were not working and I had to be given an instant release medication. I've had 4 natural births with no medication so this amount of pain was very surprising to me.
Dr. G was not there, I was told my follow up with him was in 2 weeks. However, my other doctor checked my other incisions and a nurse was there to take the packing out my vagina.
The nurse warned me that it would be uncomfortable but I would feel a lot of relief after. His warning was accurate, it didn't hurt much as it came out and I felt a lot of pressure relief. The incision still burned a lot but I was glad to have that part over with.
As part of my recovery, I'm supposed to do a sitz bath with Epsom salt 2x a day, and the apply Flagyl cream to the opening of my vagina and Fucidin cream to my perineum and anus.
My husband set up the sitz bath for me over the toilet. It was uncomfortable, mostly from being in a sitting position but it was tolerable. It was nice to have warm water in that area. My husband attempted to apply the creams for my but the whole area is swollen and he did his best :) I would say the post op day 1 was much better than my experience after surgery. Removing the packing helped as well as taking my meds regularly and resting in between. I was able to get up to use the washroom a few times by myself but I still need my hubby for most things. I will post some pics but some of them aren't very good because of the swelling down there.
Updated on 25 Dec 2020:
Today was a much better day pain wise. My first sitz bath of the day was quite painful but as the day went by, my perineum hurt less and less. I've been able to sit now without pain and I also can finally sleep on my back without pain or pressure in my vagina or rectum.
I've been nervous about having my 1st bowel movement. I have not had one since the day before my surgery. I've been taking stool softener 2x a day since 2 days before surgery and took 1 Ducolax laxative today but it did nothing. I've been having a lot of gas but nothing else so I'm planning on doubling my laxative dose tomorrow.
I was able to take less narcotics today which is great and I've also been able to get up and walk around without help a bit more than the previous day.
Updated on 25 Dec 2020:
Hey everyone.
So, today was a really rough day. The day started out pretty uneventful. I still find it difficult to urinate and have to stand up to get it going, otherwise it takes about 20 minutes to get anything out. All day I was having excruciating pain and pressure in my rectum and vagina. I've been getting this sensation of something sliding past my stitches. I figured it was probably stool moving into my rectum but nothing would come out. By 2pm, I decided to retake my laxative. I continued to have this pain on and off throughout the day. Eventually I felt the urge to have my first bowel movement. Let me tell you, childbirth, my first night without meds and this experience were the most painful experiences I've ever had in life. I literally felt like I gave birth and it was to the point the I was nauseous and the room went dark. I had to apply counterpressure to my anal area to pass it. I think because my last bm was the day before surgery, all the stool softeners and laxatives didn't help with that first part but after that everything passed ok. I bled a little bit but all my sutures stayed intact. I know this is tmi but honestly, it's important to know what to expect. Because of all the pain I experienced today, I had to go back up to my regular dose of narcotics. With my husband's help I was able to take my first shower which was great. This helped with the burning at my incision. Honestly, I never thought that having a bm could be such a stressful event lol. Now that everything is moving, I hope to have less pain going forward.
Updated on 26 Dec 2020:
I can gladly say that today was a much better day. Today was my 1st day going all day without narcotics. I was able to manage on just extra strength tylenol and an nsaid prescribed to me. I mostly have mild soreness and some light bleeding. Otherwise, I had a much better day today.
Updated on 7 Jan 2021:
Hello my lovely ladies,
I meant to post my update a few days ago but things have been kind of hectic with my kids going back to school from winter break.
So overall I would say I'm doing much better. My stitches along my perineum are still very sore, however I don't really have any other pain and I am no longer taking otc or prescription pain meds.
Around day 5 I noticed some blue stitches in my labia area. For a while I was feeling a lot of pulling and burning in that area and had quite a bit of swelling in my left labia. I found that icing helped A LOT and at this point, it's no more tender than the rest of my perineum. Around day 5, the repair close to my anus came open a little bit. I think this is because of all my bowel issues. Since surgery I've had issues ranging from going too often to constipation. As a result I had some sharp stitches hanging down from my anus that were causing me some irritation. My biggest issue right now as been itching around my vaginal opening and along the perineum. I was told before surgery that this typically happens and I read that that it's a normal part of the healing process. I was told to apply canestan which didn't help because it isn't yeast related for me. I realized that wearing pads and pantyliners to catch any blood or creams was causing the issue and I've decided to just go without them or underwear whenever I can and most itching stops when doing this.
At my 2 week follow up, I was able to address all these issues with Dr. G. He said the stitches in my labia are fine and will dissolve soon. The wound in my anal area will heal on it's own. He also cut out the anal stitches for me which provided relief. He also gave me a mirror to show me the repairs he did and discuss what work he did. I've been doing epsom salt sitz baths for 2 weeks. He advised me to switch to baking soda sitz bath for 1 week and to keep apply my antibacterial creams. 3 weeks from now he will provide me with a cream to smooth out the bumpiness along my perineum.
Overall, I'm happy with my experience and results thus far. I can feel the difference in my pelvic floor muscles, I can now properly engage them when doing Kegels. My vaginal opening is MUCH smaller and my perineum has been totally reconstructed and is much longer. The large anal tag also was completely removed. Dr. G and his staff have been very knowledgeable and helpful. His bedside manner could use some work but he's been pleasant and professional thus far.
Updated on 20 Jan 2021:
Hi Ladies,
I have officially made it to 4 weeks! My healing process has been going well. The area that opened up a little near my anus is pretty much healed. I now only have mild soreness if I stretch my labia a little too much when wiping down there but other than that nothing. My main "issues" I guess over the past 1 1/2 weeks or so have been those stitches I had in my labia, the itchiness and increased vaginal discharge.
So I had mentioned before that those little blue stitches in my labia were a source of distress for me because the burned, itched and pulled. About a 1.5 weeks ago, my stitches started dissolving and this started to cause the stitches to tear into my labia. It hurt quite a bit and was causing me a lot of frustration and frankly I felt was causing me unnecessary mental distress that was impeding my recovery. On January 11th, I had an appointment where I spoke to the head nurse about it, and I was given permission to cut thread that was causing me the most problem with a set of surgical scissors they gave me (I have some nursing experience, so I was comfortable doing this). I was really happy about that and did it as soon as I got home. Since then, I've noticed threads here and there as they dissolve and have been snipping small parts if they become visible. I also had quite a bit of itching and white discharge up until about 3-4 days ago. I've learned recently that this experience can be normal for some who's body is reacting to dissolving the stitches as it's an immune response. I've felt much better since cutting the stitch and the area has become softer and less rigid. Other than that, there hasn't been much else. I have an appointment next week where I'll see Dr. G and receive the cream to smooth out my perineum. I won't be posting much pictures until I feel comfortable waxing again and this discharge subsides. I should mention also I took medications for yeast just in case I had an infection but it did nothing. I'll post more updates in the coming weeks.
Updated on 9 Feb 2021:
Hey ladies!
So I am 7 weeks post op. I had my final appointment yesterday, which was 2 weeks delayed due to work and my period. Dr. G checked everything out and told me I healed "beautifully" lol. As of now I am going to start the treatment for the scarring on my perineum.
So, first of all, I have gone from being able to fit 3 1/2 fingers inside my vagina to only 1!!!! I honestly could not believe it but I am way tighter. All the stitches from inside my vagina fell out around six weeks, and since then the excessive discharge and itching has stopped completely. I am pretty much healed but the opening of my vagina does feel overly firm and tender still and I have some over scarring from the stitches that were in my labia. I hoping that with time that will settle down.
My hubby and have had sex 3x now. My first tried around 6 weeks. The 1st time was very painful, definitely like losing my virginity. We had to go extremely slow and use a lot of lube. The most painful part I am finding is actually the perineum because once he's all the way in, it doesn't hurt anymore. My perineum is so sore and I feel like I have microtears after. At this point, it's hard to say if it's more pleasurable for me because I've been so preoccupied with the pain but I can definetly say there is no more slipping out, no pressure in my rectum and no feeling like I have to squeeze to feel him. For the first time in years, I can be totally relaxed and feel all of him lol. For him, there is also a significant difference. He has said that he feels like he's "all the way in" when only the tip is because the opening is much tighter. He also said that I'm much tighter on the inside. So far, I'm extremely happy with the changes and am hopeful that over the next few months the tender areas will get better.
I've noticed some unexpected changes with my period as well. Firstly, I was able to wear a tampon without any leaks. Before I used to have leaking even if the tampon/menstrual cup wasn't full but I never attributed it to this issue. The only thing that bothers me is that now with wearing pads, blood will collect in my vagina while lying down and make a mess when standing. Also, I have to wear my pads more forward because it only collects on the front of the pad which is a problem with pads that have wings. I hoping that this too will get better as my perineum softens but it may not. That's all I have for now, if you guys have any questions let me know!
Updated on 11 Feb 2021:
My experience with Dr. Giannoulias was great from start to finish. He was very kind and knowledgeable. He took his time to ensure I was properly followed-up on and always answered my questions and concerns. The staff at Clinic 360 have been great and I am very happy with the results of my vaginoplasty. Dr. G repaired all the damage from my 4 births and I couldn't be happier! Thank you!
Updated on 8 Jun 2021:
Hi Ladies!
I've been meaning to post an update for you guys, I can't believe it's been almost 6 months already! Everything with my surgery has been good, zero complaints here. I would say the longest issue I had was pain with sex which caught me off guard because I thought after having sex a few times the pain would get better. I had pain in my perineum until about 4.5 months. The truth is I really didn't use the estrogen cream that was provided because my pharmacist kind of scared me with the risks of using estrogen for prolonged periods. I got to a point though that I decided I had enough of the pain and committed to doing perineal massages every night with the cream. It was really painful and tender to do but after only 1 week of doing it consistently and with firm pressure, the pain in my perineum was gone and sex no longer hurts! If any one is having pain after sex, that plus having sex regularly is what helped me the most. My results are still really tight and it does still take a little time to fully get it in but it's not painful at all. That's all!