Surgery And Constipation Management Are Two Rectal Prolapse Treatments That Might Help Your Condition
Rectal prolapse is a bothersome condition where part of your rectum falls when you have a bowel movement or increase your abdominal pressure. This condition has a few causes, and one of the most common causes is straining caused by chronic constipation. Rectal prolapse treatment might be a combination of dealing with constipation and having surgery to repair your prolapse. Here's what your doctor might recommend.
Control Your Constipation
Treating your constipation might be the only treatment you need in the early stages of prolapse. If it's easy to have bowel movements, you won't need to strain and risk pushing your rectum out. Controlling constipation is also important after you have surgery so you can keep a prolapse from happening again.
Constipation can often be helped by taking stool softeners. Your doctor can recommend the right medications if you need them, and they can advise you on how to take them so they benefit you without causing undesirable side effects. You might be able to manage constipation on your own by eating more fiber and getting daily exercise.
You might combine managing constipation with pushing your rectum back in place with your hand so you can avoid prolapse surgery. However, you may eventually need surgery if your prolapse gets worse or develops complications.
Putting an end to constipation is sometimes an effective rectal prolapse treatment. However, a prolapse has other causes too, such as nerve damage, old age, or even childbirth. The doctor needs to understand the cause of your condition to treat it effectively.
Have A Surgical Procedure
Prolapse surgery can be done abdominally or through your rectum. You may need general anesthesia for the abdominal surgery and a spinal anesthetic for the rectal surgery. The surgeries are done in different ways, but they both reposition and secure your rectum so it won't bulge out any longer when you have a bowel movement or do exercises where you put pressure on your abdomen.
You might need a short hospital stay for this surgery, and it might take several weeks to heal completely. You'll probably need to limit straining and lifting during that time so your incision has a chance to heal. That could mean you'll need help at home since your doctor may not want you to lift small children for several days after the procedure.
You might have pain after the surgery, and your doctor may give you a prescription for pain pills or advise you on the over-the-counter medications to take. The length of time you need to take off from work depends on the type of surgery you have. Surgery is an effective rectal prolapse treatment, and it might be the only choice if your prolapse is advanced or causing pain.
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