Slow recovery after APR surgery...is this normal?

Hi Debras, 

I hope you managed to get a date for your operation. I had a similar op to you 11 months ago. My stomach muscle (VRAM) was used to fill the cavity after the APR and to make a new posterior wall for my vagina.    Recovery is tough, took a good 6-7 months. i'm back in work since September.

It was a complete shock to me coming out of surgery. the flap seemed overly large due to the swelling, and i had to contend with a new colostomy at the same time.   The swelling and size of the flap did reduce over time and my surgeon did say it can take up to a year for complete muscle atrophy.  My belly button is a little to one side now because of the muscle they took away, but the long 'shark bite' scar has healed very well, and isn't that noticeable.  

My flap is still large so i have been back with my plastic surgeon to see when he can reduce it further,  hopefully in the next 2-3 months

Can you let me know how you got on with your surgery.  I hope it all went well. Wishing you well. 

Cdel

Hi Debras, 

I hope you managed to get a date for your operation. I had a similar op to you 11 months ago. My stomach muscle (VRAM) was used to fill the cavity after the APR and to make a new posterior wall for my vagina.    Recovery is tough, took a good 6-7 months. i'm back in work since September.

It was a complete shock to me coming out of surgery. the flap seemed overly large due to the swelling, and i had to contend with a new colostomy at the same time.   The swelling and size of the flap did reduce over time and my surgeon did say it can take up to a year for complete muscle atrophy.  My belly button is a little to one side now because of the muscle they took away, but the long 'shark bite' scar has healed very well, and isn't that noticeable.  

My flap is still large so i have been back with my plastic surgeon to see when he can reduce it further,  hopefully in the next 2-3 months

Can you let me know how you got on with your surgery.  I hope it all went well. Wishing you well. 

Cdel

Hiya, thanks for your message, it's good to hear from you. Glad you are feeling better. 

I had my APR with vram flap on 5th aug. They had a problem with not enough skin, so I have a very small although still swollen on one side flap. You cant see it from behind me at all. 

Wow what an op!!! I came home after 11 days, totally unfit. I had a supra pubic catheter which started to bleed. I had been in Salisbury for the op due to needing a plastic surgeon. 

I went back in after 10 days ( are you bored yet?) And kept on bleeding, they sent me home again saying I was fine. However I wasnt and then had sepsis and a local hosp took me in as an emergency and then Salisbury took me back in. My bloods were down to hb 6.6 instead of 12. I had a cystoscopy and the catheter removed. I am now incontinent. Using pads all day and night.

So getting better, but a slow job.  Xx deb

Hi Deb,

 I'm really sorry to hear that you've had such a rough time. It's so unfair that you've had to endure this. How are you getting on now? 

 Xx

Hi everyone I'm looking for some info on recovery from APR surgery which I have in a few weeks time due to a very low rectal cancer 

My initial dread was the stoma but that has now been overtaken by the thought of the recovery from the perineal wound. Originally I had assumed that they would just stitch up the bum but the surgeon spoke about using a flap of skin from one of my bum cheeks to cover it and didn't really explain how that works. 

I've seen horrendous stories of how long recovery takes, I asked the colorectal nurse when I could go back to work and she said 6 weeks, which from the posts I've seen seems unlikely

I've tried to find some images of how the wound looks following and moving on from surgery but no luck. 

Any ideas where I might find that and also has anyone had a quick, straightforward recovery from this op I would love to hear from you. 

Thanks Laura 

Hiya, its Debra. I had an APR with vram flap (they took the skin to cover my anal area from my stomach). I was in hospital for 12 days. I had bladder problems for 10 weeks but the op itself was good. I healed well and layed sideways for a while on our settee. 

If you really want to see this op it's on u tube. BUT be sure you really want to, as it's quite a watch. 

Good luck, if I dared to give anyone any advice I would say. Go with it, your body will soon tell you what you can and can't do.

Try to be patient. I was told I would feel "normal" again after 6 months, it's a new normal, but after 4 months I started  to feel as if I was finally getting there, but remember I had serious bladder problems. Xx deb

Hi Laura

I am 9 weeks on from an APR ( ELAPE) and my perineal wound is just about healed. I got an infection at week 6 but have had anti-biotics to clear it up. The dressing has been changed every other day by the district nurses. I had plastic surgery to create the flaps and the whole thing has knitted together well. Haven't had any physical pain at all. Have spent most of the time lying on my sides and sleeping because you will be very fatigued especially for the first month or so.  I would say 8 weeks until you are fit to return to work. Its been relatively smooth for me on the whole. Hope that helps Sean  

Hi Debra thanks for this. I have seen a couple of the you tube videos yes op looks pre brutal but I'll be asleep during it, however the ones I've seen finish before the sewing up at the end. Feel it would be helpful if there was somewhere that had maybe a week by week of the wound healing, maybe there is but I've searched and can't find anything! 

Thanks Sean, yes that's useful,thank you 

I’m about to have this surgery at the end if the month or first week in march 

mom going to listen to my body it

cheets Andy