The Lister Hospital
Chelsea Bridge Road, SW1W 8RH London
Vaginal repair surgery
PELVIC ORGAN PROLAPSE REPAIR
Vaginal repair surgery aims to restore and strengthen the walls of your vagina following pelvic organ prolapse
What is pelvic prolapse?
The wall of your vagina acts as a support structure that holds your pelvic organs, such as your womb, bowel and bladder in place.
If the muscles and ligaments supporting your pelvic organs weaken, one or more of your pelvic organs can slip down or bulge into your vagina.
Pelvic surgery can help to correct this.
Need to know
This operation may be carried out under general anaesthetic or local anaesthetic which will block pain in the area. The type of operation you have depends on whether you have a weakness in the front or back of your vagina (or both). This surgery can be combined with a vaginal hysterectomy.
Your surgeon will make an incision on the wall of your vagina so they can push your pelvic organs back into place. They will stitch the supporting tissues together to provide better support. They may also stitch a mesh over the repaired wall. The procedure can take around 30 minutes to an hour in theatre depending on the type of surgery you have.
Your consultant will explain what's involved and how to prepare for surgery. If you're having general anaesthetic, they'll let you know how long you should avoid eating and drinking for.
Like all procedures, there may be some risks and side effects involved. Your consultant will explain these to you.
You'll be cared for in hospital for 24 hours after surgery or, if combined with a vaginal hysterectomy, up to three days after surgery. You may have some pain in your groin and abdomen for a week or two.
You may have some blood and discharge from your vagina for a few weeks too. You won't be able lift anything heavy or do anything strenuous for at least six weeks after surgery. It's best not to have sex during this time too.
It can take up three months to recover fully. You can usually return to work after two to six weeks but this depends on what job you have. You can usually drive after two weeks.
Our Vaginal repair surgery locations
The Portland Hospital
205-209 Great Portland Street W1W 5AH London
The Wellington Hospital
8A Wellington Place NW8 9LE London
London Bridge Hospital
27 Tooley Street SE1 2PR London
The Harley Street Clinic
35 Weymouth Street W1G 8BJ London
The Princess Grace Hospital
42-52 Nottingham Place W1U 5NY London
The Shard Outpatients
The Shard, 32 St Thomas Street SE1 9BS London
Patient stories
Yvette's story: From back pain to hip replacement surgery
Yvette (54) a journalist from Kent, started experiencing pain in her hip seven years ago in 2015. An ex-national gymnast who had been incredibly active and flexible her whole life, Yvette felt concerned about the growing discomfort impacting her quality of life, and so sought help from her GP.
A new hip and straight back into the spin of things
David’s gym video shows him repeatedly pushing up to 100kg on a single leg press – not particularly unusual for this keen cyclist, former competitive squash player and all-round fitness enthusiast. What is unusual is that 52-year-old David had hip surgery just 12 weeks earlier.
Michael's MAKO hip surgery to treat his arthritis
73 year-old Michael, an avid walker and charity worker, was diagnosed with arthritis in January 2021. After facing long waiting times and increasing pain that was becoming more frequent, he started to look elsewhere for treatment.
This content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.