You may find it more comfortable to hold your abdomen (provide support) the first one or two times your bowels move. If you do have problems opening your bowels, it may help to place a small footstool under your feet when you are sitting on the toilet so that your knees are higher than your hips.
If you have not had a bowel movement 48-72 hours after surgery or if desired before that, take Milk of Magnesia over the counter 1-2 times a day. You may also use a Dulcolax suppository and/or Fleet's Enema if no bowel movement within 24 hours of the Milk of Magnesia.
Sleep is good for just about every aspect of our health, including healing and recovery. This makes good sleep critical for anyone who has undergone major surgery, including hysterectomies. The best sleeping positions after a hysterectomy are on either your back or on your side, supported by a well-placed pillow.
Once the ligaments are severed and the uterus removed, the bladder and bowel drop down and, without the uterus to separate them, are now adjacent to each other. The nerves and blood vessels that are severed during hysterectomy may also alter the functions of pelvic organs.
What if I CAN'T MOVE MY BOWELS after surgery? Begin stool softener (Colace or generic docusate sodium) as soon as you come home. Take a 100mg capsule three times daily. A high fiber diet will help speed the return of normal bowel function.
Constipation is fairly common after a hysterectomy. Gynecological and digestive system complaints post-surgery are interrelated. Postoperative constipation can affect up to a third of women. Many women experience cramping, impairment of defecation, and irregular bowel movements after their procedure.
Abdominal Adhesion
Adhesions are created by tissues and organs being injured, organs coming into contact with foreign objects, or tissues drying out, all of which are possible during hysterectomy surgery. These fibrous bands can entangle the bowel and lead to problems with evacuating, as well as significant pain.
Try to avoid constipation and straining with bowel movements. You may want to take a fibre supplement every day. If you have not had a bowel movement after a couple of days, ask your doctor about taking a mild laxative.
A fallen bladder, also known as cystocele or prolapsed bladder, is common after hysterectomies. It involves the bladder falling into the vaginal canal.
Bowel movements may take 4-5 days to get back to normal. Your first bowel movement should occur 4-5 days after surgery. For weeks (which can sometimes persist for months) bowel function could be impaired because of surgery and pain medication.
After your hysterectomy
The average recovery time for a vaginal or laparoscopic hysterectomy is 3 to 4 weeks. For an abdominal hysterectomy, recovery may take 5 to 6 weeks. It's important to look after yourself after your hysterectomy: Rest as much as possible for at least 2 weeks.
After a hysterectomy, you should avoid heavy lifting and strenuous exercise. However, it is important to stay active with light exercise to improve your blood flow, which reduces the risk of blood clots, and helps get your bowel moving to prevent constipation.
You may shower 24 to 48 hours after surgery, if your doctor okays it. Pat the incision dry. Do not take a bath for the first 2 weeks, or until your doctor tells you it is okay. Ask your doctor when it is okay for you to have sex.
Some women have little or no bleeding initially, and then have a sudden gush of old blood or fluid about 10 days later. This usually stops quickly. You should use sanitary towels rather than tampons as using tampons could increase the risk of infection.
You may take a shower the day after surgery. If you have Steri-Strips, you do not need to cover your incision when taking a shower. You can take a tub bath seven days after your surgery or when you are easily able to get in and out of the bathtub.
After hysterectomy, the most common complication is pelvic floor dysfunction. The injury of pelvic floor muscle and nerve tissue is inevitable during operation, such as urinary incontinence after operation.
Hysterectomies may make overactive bladder (OAB) more likely in several ways. The surgery itself may injure muscles or nerves that control urination.
Q: I don't have pain at the beginning of urination, but do have intense pain as I finish emptying my bladder. What's wrong? A: You are probably experiencing bladder spasms which are most common after a hysterectomy. This usually shows a gradual improvement over the first several weeks after surgery.
Walking – Start walking on the day of your return home and increase your activity levels over the first few weeks. Many women should be able to walk for 30-60 minutes after 2-3 weeks. Swimming – Within 2-3 weeks provided any vaginal bleeding/discharge has stopped.
Do not lift anything more than 10 lbs (such as laundry, groceries, children, pets), vacuum, push heavy doors or grocery carts, etc, for 6 weeks. You may climb stairs as tolerated. your doctor (including tampons, douching, sexual intercourse, etc).
Feeling very tired for quite a few weeks after a hysterectomy is normal but often takes a woman by surprise because she is otherwise often feeling much better. A combination of adequate rest and gradually increasing activity are important for helping you get back to full strength quickly.
Concomitant bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy was performed in 17 patients. Results: After abdominal hysterectomy, patients reported increased symptoms of gas incontinence, urge to defecate, and inability to distinguish between gas and feces ( P < 0.05). There was a tendency of increased fecal incontinence.
Coffee consumption after total abdominal hysterectomy and systematic paraaortic lymphadenectomy expedites the time to bowel motility and the ability to tolerate food. This simple, cheap, and well-tolerated treatment should be added as an adjunct to the postoperative care of gynecologic oncology patients.