Hi Spinone,
I had my op on 13/06/24 and my number one tip is be ready for the possibility of trapped wind. It's not a nice topic, but I had chronic pain for two days and remember you're not allowed to push! By sheer luck the one thing I had brought with me was extra strong mints and they along with some peppermint cordial (provided on the NHS) got me through. The extra strong mints covered both the need to pass the wind and the after effects!
The wind comes from the fact that they pump up your abdomen to make it easier to do the op, at least that is what I was told.
On the theme of not all having the same experience. I was sent home with both a catheter bag and a blood drain bag. The blood drain bag was removed after 7 days and the catheter was in for 24 days. I believe this is rare, but best be aware it could happen. For the first week with two bags it as a fairly major operation just to move from my bedroom to my living room.
The last thing I would mention is the mental side. I was okay after the operation and during the early recovery phase. However, by November 2024, as my incontinence was going away, I did start to have issues with my mental health. I got some professional help with an eight week course of cognitive behaviour therapy which helped me to come to terms with my ED. My operation was non-nerve sparing and I will never recover from ED. However, if you look for other threads where I have contributed, you will see that I have found ways round my ED and have the most wonderful love life.