episiotomy repair?

Has anyone had to have their episiotomy repaired due to it not healing properly...

quick run down...

Had baby nearly 8 weeks ago, needed episiotomy, (also did with number one), she ended up being much bigger than we thought, so episiotomy kinda tore a bit more than planned, ended up being on the cusp of a third degree tear, Had to get dr to stitch it, was a bit complicated for midwife to do, (in my opinion dr was horrible and very rough while doing the stitches, pain was worse than pushing out the 9lb baby with no drugs)..
On about day 4 swelling got so bad all the stitches split, mw kept an eye on it as she thought it may heal naturally,
Here we are 7 weeks later and most of it has healed but one part just wont close up, and there seems to be a extra bit of skin flapping around, It's still a bit tender but doesn't really hurt...still bleeds too...

Was told if it doesn't heal the only option was to go under a general and have it re-cut and stitched to heal properly...the thought of this terrifies me, but if there is no option I will have to get it done..

Any ideas to help healing or other stories or experiences would be appreciated...

Edited by thunderwolves

Yes Ive had it done. What you have is called a recto/vaginal fistula and best you phone the GP or go direct to private Gyno and get it sorted asap. I waited a year of being mucked around. By jumping the queue by going to a private consult $110 then got it done at public much quicker.
Awefull to hear someone else going thru this trauma, its just nasty what we go thru. I had c/s for 2nd cos didnt want to go thru episodemy ever again. I went under general to fix it. After birth I just had a injection in vagina/perinum/anus for repair, it was a female OB that delivered her that did my repair, no way I would let a MW near me with that nasty looking needle. Just not enough experience. Dont get me wrong its sore to be all repaired again, but best to get it sorted and not go thru years of pain.

Good luck hun

omg, I can't even think about having sex yet, I figure since it bleeds a little when i wipe after going to the toilet, sex would probably open it up a little more...thank goodness for an understanding dh....although he thinks i should see someone to get it sorted..

I had a similar thing - it healed up, but in a very hard ridge. Very painful!
I had that same surgery though, where they cut you again and stitch it again - it was totally fine. I was a bit nervous going into it as I had never been put under before, but my mum reminded me that my gramps had just had to have an operation where they actually had to drain all the blood out of his body and put it through a machine - totally made me feel fine again!! I was just glad I wasn't going through anything as serious.
You'll be fine :)

Oh god get it fixed asap. I only had 6 stitces for two tiny tears (monster size 9lb 13oz baby born early December) and it wasn't till May that I said to my GP after about 3 visits "This is getting worse/more painful...what is going on!" Turns out my 'granuloma' had increased in size and now I'm on a priority one waiting list for getting it 'fixed' - so should be done within 6 months. Tried to get it done privately but they won't cover it due to it being a result of pregnancy/childbirth.
No sex till then due to irritation and pain - yep, that's not cool.
Get it fixed, get on a waiting list asap.

I had this happen too. Apparently my episiotomy was stiched too tight and the newly healed skin ripped about 15 days after I had my DD. It then wouldn't heal properly and I ended up with a weird flap of skin and it hurt to sit down. Midwife checked it and the hospital gyno said they wouldn't do anything till after I had finished having more kids. I went to my GP at 8 weeks post birth and cried about how much it hurt, she referred me to the hospital gyno and at 13 weeks I finally saw someone who basically went OMG I can't believe you've put up with this for this long. So had the flap of skin cut out and the whole site cut and restitched under local and have had no pain since. This was not as bad as it sounds, just very embarassing as the doc had to get a nurse to watch (regulations) and he had a student doc with him and the nurse had a student nurse with her. Plus they had two other students that watched because apparently the way mine healed (or didn't heal) was very unusal and they wanted the students to see it (they did ask my permission for the students to be in the room). So I had about 6 or 7 people in the room watching the cutting and restitching of my episiotomy - which is a hell of a lot more embarassing when you are not having a baby!

Just posting as I didn't want to read and run - sounds like a repair is the way to go with these things. Thanks for sharing all your stories ladies. I had an elective CS with my DS on advice from my OB as he was so big (turned out he was right 10lb 90z!), and it's a decision I still struggle with 6 months on from his birth. The OB was concerned about episiotomy + tearing if I delivered vaginally, now I know why.

ETA - I cant believe they are saying to wait until you have finished having children to fix this. Unbelievable, especially if you are in pain/discomfort day to day.

Edited by Puddleduck

good to hear you are being pro-active thunderwolves let us know how you get on seeing gp.

puddleduck
sad to hear you are struggling that you had to have a c/s, thank you for your story. my DD was 6lb6 and she still caused me all this trauma so just be careful they dont talk you into a VBAC if/when you have another one even small babies cause damage on the VJ


another sad trauma story is a friend of a friend had a episodemy/forceps operative birth for an 8lb and has had to have a catheter in for over a month as bladder not working at ALL!! not sure what her outcome will be, only time will tell, aparently it rare but does happen

Ouch - reading this makes me hurt in regions down there :( So horrible.
I don't think I healed incorrectly however still have tightness down there at times where I tore??!

Also - yes I found the stitches one of the WORST thing, I complained like a little kid - even though I had just been through natural child birth.

Mine was 8lb11oz and posterior with a 98th percentile head and I didn't tear too badly (yes she came out looking up!).... So i think it really depends on each person - at the end of the day, you went off your doctor's advice for a c-sect and that's the best advice :) everyone's circumstance is sooo different.