What a mesh…..

More than one client emailed me links to the news article below, knowing that I would have something to say.  Take a read (the link to the article is in the title).

“Vaginal Mesh Implants – hundreds sue NHS over ‘barbaric’ treatment”

To those of us working in women’s wellness, with a special interest and experience in the pelvic floor and core, this comes as no surprise. Scotland has already banned the treatment and you don’t need to spend long in the online forums of women suffering pelvic organ prolapse (POP) or continence issues to see that there are many who have had the mesh surgery with poor outcomes. There are, of course plenty who have and are extremely happy with the outcome. Similarly, there are surgical options available without the use of mesh.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not anti-surgery but it’s a sad fact that the surgical option for so many women isn’t ‘water tight’ and the risks involved need to be taken into account. I have one client who was booked in for this very operation who literally days before read further round it and pulled out at the last minute.

So where does that leave us?

For me, I would always go down the route of preventing or delaying this kind of surgery for as long as possible. Here are my 5 top tips:

1. Understand what stresses the pelvic floor in the first place
2. Recognise the warning signs
3. Manage ‘pressure’
4. Exercise safely, effectively and appropriately
5. Seek help and advice from experts – GP, WH physio, specialist exercise instructor

During this week I will dive deeper into these 5 tips. Keep your eyes peeled!