Pelvic floor surgery recovery time in Korea and flying home

The day of surgery and the first night

Recovery rooms are private single-occupancy suites. Overnight stays are available in the clinic's recovery suites. Pelvic ligament suspension for incontinence alone is performed under IV sedation, with same-day discharge. The urinary catheter is usually removed the morning after surgery. Walking to the bathroom is encouraged.

Some women find it hard to empty the bladder for a while or notice a slower stream. IUGA reports that about 15% of women have trouble emptying the bladder fully after vaginal repair surgery, usually from swelling that settles within days to two weeks, and ACOG notes that a catheter may be needed a few times a day until it does. In rare cases the stitches or the sling must be adjusted.

The first two weeks

Rest at your accommodation with short walks each day. Keep stools soft; avoid straining, lifting and long periods of standing. Light vaginal discharge and spotting are normal. A final check 5 to 10 days after surgery confirms healing before you travel.

Constipation is common after pelvic surgery, and straining puts pressure on the stitches. IUGA advises fruit and fiber, enough fluid to keep stools soft, and a stool softener if your doctor prescribes one. Pain around the vagina and groin eases over several weeks.

Warning signs and who to call

Contact your surgeon promptly for heavy bleeding, foul-smelling or prolonged discharge, burning when you pass urine, increasing abdominal pain, vomiting or fever. A painful swollen leg, shortness of breath or chest pain need urgent medical help. Patients have a 24-hour nurse contact line after surgery.

When can I fly after prolapse surgery?

You fly home once the final check confirms healing. Recent surgery and journeys of more than four hours both raise the risk of a blood clot in the leg, according to the NHS. Choose an aisle seat, walk the aisle every hour, do simple calf exercises in your seat and drink water. The UK Civil Aviation Authority says compression stockings may be appropriate for people with risk factors, so ask your doctor whether they are right for you.

Carry your operative summary in English and your medication list. Medical records and receipts are issued in English on request. Ask your travel insurance provider whether a complication after planned surgery would be covered, and keep the policy number with your documents.

Incontinence surgery recovery: weeks 2 to 8

Avoid lifting more than 10 kg (about 22 pounds) for 8 weeks after surgery. You can usually drive after about 1 week and return to work after about 1 month. Swimming and running wait about 2 months. Other high-impact exercise waits until your surgeon clears you.

Sexual intercourse can resume about 8 weeks after pelvic ligament suspension, once a check confirms healing. Results and recovery vary from person to person.

General guidance is similar in kind but not identical. IUGA advises avoiding lifting more than 20 pounds (9 kg) and high-impact exercise for at least 6 weeks after vaginal repair, and says most people return to work between 2 and 6 weeks. A 2013 review found no randomized trial or prospective cohort study testing how long activity restrictions are needed after gynecologic surgery, which is one reason surgeons' limits vary. Follow the limits your own surgeon gives you. This page is general information and is not a diagnosis; a consultation is needed to decide whether a procedure suits you.

Follow-up from abroad

A video follow-up is scheduled after you return home. If you need to be seen locally, give your English operative summary to the doctor you choose. Follow-up care is provided for ten years after surgery under the clinic's aftercare policy: a repeat of the same procedure is free of charge; sedation anesthesia fees and any additional procedures performed at the same time are charged.

Book a check with your own doctor within six months of surgery. NICE advises a follow-up appointment within 6 months for every woman who has had surgery for stress urinary incontinence and a review 6 months after prolapse surgery, and the AUA/SUFU guideline says patients should be seen within six months of an incontinence operation.

Sources

1. NHS: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
2. UK Civil Aviation Authority: Air travel and your health
3. Nygaard IE et al. Activity restrictions after gynecologic surgery: is there evidence? Int Urogynecol J 2013 (PMC3774134)
4. IUGA Your Pelvic Floor: Recovery guide after pelvic floor surgery
5. ACOG FAQ: Surgery for Pelvic Organ Prolapse
6. NICE guideline NG123: Urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women, recommendations
7. American Urological Association / SUFU: Surgical Treatment of Female Stress Urinary Incontinence guideline