Vulva surgery

Following your surgery, you may experience:

  • A small to moderate amount of pink, blood-tinged loss from the wound for 1-2 weeks. This will improve over time.
  • Bruising or swelling at the surgical site.
  • Some pain or soreness at the surgical site.
  • Numbness over the wound and the area around it.
  • A change in the direction of your urine stream. If so, you may find it helps to sit on the toilet, rather than squat, and to sit further back than usual.


Wound care

Always wash your hands before and after your vulval care. The stitches are dissolvable. Try and keep the wound as clean and dry as possible. Try to avoid activities that place tension on the wound. For example, it is better to lie, stand, or recline rather than sit on a standard chair. This is especially important if your surgery was at the bottom of your vulva (closer to the anus).

Do:

  • Apply ice packs to the wound for the first 48 hours post-op.
  • Wash the wound three times a day and after each bowel action until the wound is healed. You should have been educated on how to do this by the nursing staff while you were in the hospital.
  • Use warm water only to wash the area and use either a handheld shower nozzle, a “spray pump” bottle, cheap sauce bottle, or a small plastic jug.
    • Pat the area dry gently; it is often easy to use disposable cloths to save laundering towels. 
    • Complete drying with a hairdryer set on the coolest setting. This is often easier if lying down on a bed.
  • Salt water baths are another option – use 1 tsp of salt per litre of warm water.
  • Avoid wearing underwear and wear loose-fitting clothing as much as possible. When at home try to air the area as much as possible.

Avoid:

  • Wearing tight-fitting clothing. If you need to wear underwear – use cotton underwear.
  • Swimming, bathing or spa baths as these increase the risk of infection.
  • Use any lotions, perfumes or talcum powder on your vulval area.
  • Using tampons until area is completely healed- use sanitary pads for any blood loss.

Pain and Bowel Management

  • Paracetamol may be used to relieve mild to moderate pain. Ensure you follow the directions on the pack unless advised otherwise.
  • If you are able to take anti-inflammatories take them regularly for the first week post-op as per the instruction on the box.
  • Stronger pain relievers may be taken as prescribed but can cause constipation. If unsure, ask for more specific advice about what medicines have been prescribed for you.
  • Take laxatives prescribed to ensure bowel motions are soft and easy to pass without straining.
  • It may sting whilst passing urine whilst the wound is healing. Ways to relieve that are to pass urine in the shower (whilst washing the area), take Ural and drink more, rather than less, water.
  • Drink plenty of water.

Leg Swelling