What are the symptoms of
rectal prolapse?
Following are the symptoms of rectal prolapse:
- Inability to control bowel movements
- Uncontrolled bowel movements result in the leakage of stools
- Constipation
- A mass of muscles protruding through the anus
- Anal discharge
What are the
treatments available?
Surgery is the main avenue available to correct the rectal prolapse; minimally invasive procedure is the go to method for treating rectal prolapse.
How is the procedure
carried out?
A general anesthesia will be administered to the patient and as a result he/she will be asleep during the surgery.
Once the patient is asleep the process begins by making incisions near the belly button and a small device is inserted which is called a port; it creates an opening that will be filled with gas (carbon dioxide) in the abdomen region.
Through these incisions a Laparoscope (a Laparoscope is a small instrument with a narrow tube which has light source and camera at the end of the tube) is inserted and using the Laparoscope’s video camera the surgeon is able to locate the sigmoid colon, rectum and through the other incisions that are made the rectum is freed with the help of surgical equipment; and placed back to its original position, after this the incisions are sealed using a surgical glue or staples.
During the surgery the rectum is secured with the help of a mesh.
What are the advantages of
this surgery?
The surgery involves small incisions which take very less time to heal and as a result the patient can return back to normal life within no time.
How long does it take to
recover?
The recovery time for Laparoscopic surgeries is very less and one can return to normal life within days of surgery, but they should avoid heavy lifting. The soreness after the surgery lasts for 48 hours and it can extend up to weeks depending upon the individual.
If the patient is fine and the pain is less, then he is discharged immediately and follow up checkup is held every 7 to 10 days post discharge.
If the pain in the incisional area persists the doctor will advise bed rest for a week.
One might feel nauseated post-surgery, this might be due to anesthesia administered for the purpose of the surgery.
Post-surgery one might feel shoulder pain because of the gas that was pumped in during the surgery, which will go away within 48 hours.
How should one prepare for the
procedure?
If you have a prior medical condition and you are taking medicines prescribed by a doctor please make sure you inform the surgeon beforehand.
If you have a habit of smoking you will be advised to stop smoking a few weeks prior to the date of the operation as smoking may result in occurrence of hernia or may cause infections resulting in failure of the procedure. Quitting smoking enhances the chances of success.
When to call a doctor if complications occur
post-surgery?
If one feels nauseated, develops fever, bleeding occurs through the incisions, inability to urinate etc; under these circumstances it is better to get in touch with the doctor who performed the operation.