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DW probably needs surgery

jscott
jscott Member Posts: 31
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edited December 2025 in Caring For a Spouse or Partner

I have posted before about this but, I am terrified about my DW having surgery. She's probably about mid stage 4 and still doing pretty well. It appears that she may need a surgery. There are two options. One would require about a 4 hour surgery and the other likely more like 2 hours. I'm so concerened about how this might affect her. Both would likely not require a hospital stay. It's not an emergency type of proceedure so we (I) have time to make a decision. My initial thought is to do the least invasive proceedure. The more complicated proceedure would be a complete hysterectomy and reconstruction. What have been other's experience with surgery at this stage? I want only the best for her. She soon turns 72 and was diagonosed about 5 years ago.

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  • harshedbuzz
    harshedbuzz Member Posts: 6,297
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    @jscott

    Is this the prolapse surgery you mentioned in an earlier post? Have you discussed this with the doctor who is monitoring her dementia? They may have valuable insight.

    I would speak with the doctor regarding the anesthesia and what recovery will look like around both options. My mom had recent surgery for a prolapsed bladder which was the minimally invasive placement of a sling with propofol (the short acting sedation used for colonoscopy) and was fine to leave the hospital in 45 minutes. My mom doesn't have dementia and the surgery was more of a lifestyle issue, so I was really happy she came through as well as she did.

    HB

  • Quilting brings calm
    Quilting brings calm Member Posts: 3,110
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    I’m not sure that the length of time of the surgery would matter. She will be out of it either way. I’d focus more on the type of anesthesia used and the recovery time afterwards. My hysterectomy was for prolapse too. It was done vaginally ( no other incision). Recovery was pain pills for a few days, rest and Tylenol etc for a few weeks. Gradual return to normal activity level. It actually made my life better because the prolapse made standing for 30 minutes uncomfortable.

    There will probably be a temporary decline because of the change in routine and the pain.

  • easy23
    easy23 Member Posts: 352
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    my DH has been under general anesthesia multiple times since his diagnosis of dementia and had no setbacks.

  • jscott
    jscott Member Posts: 31
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    Thank you,

    Yes, it's the prolapse surgery. This is wise counsel. Thank you

Commonly Used Abbreviations


DH = Dear Husband
DW= Dear Wife, Darling Wife
LO = Loved One
ES = Early Stage
EO = Early Onset
FTD = Frontotemporal Dementia
VD = Vascular Dementia
MC = Memory Care
AL = Assisted Living
POA = Power of Attorney
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