Preparing for Recovery - Tips for Barbie Butt Surgery

I am scheduled for a "Barbie Butt" surgery here in the very near future and am concerned about the recovery. Was wondering if anyone has some suggestions on how to prepare for the recovery from this surgery.
Thank you,

Mona the stoma

Hi Dianne, my recommendation is to find a comfy pillow to sit on, not the donut type, and take the pain meds before the pain is too much. Also, don't lift anything heavier than a cup of coffee. Good luck.

My recovery was long. Get a fluffy thick pillow for in the car and when you sit anywhere, favor one cheek then alternate. Lie on your side to allow minimal pressure. Use thin pads in your panties for rear leakage while healing. Oozing is normal until healed.
Good luck and stay positive, I never regretted getting mine.... We're not assholes anymore, just bag ladies!

Be prepared to lay or stand, sitting is not much of an option for a little while. Gradually, you'll be able to sit on something soft, but you'll want to lean onto one cheek or the other to avoid direct pressure on your healing wound. Do not use a cushion with a hole in the middle; it adds pressure to your wound area. I emptied my bag into a "bucket" and then dumped that into the toilet to avoid sitting on the toilet. You could also just kneel down to empty, I suppose. You want your surgeon to use dissolvable stitches. Keep the area clean and dry as much as possible.

Hi Dianne,
Not going to lie, it's going to be uncomfortable for a bit. Lying on your side and, as Alex says, going from one cheek to the other does reduce the discomfort.

The main thing to take away though, if my experience is anything to go by, is that it doesn't last. You'll gradually feel more comfortable, bit by bit, until it's not an issue any more. I'm just over a year post-surgery and, whilst I'm always aware that it's there, it doesn't rule my life. I frequently jump in the car and drive a couple hundred miles to a job. Might need a little quiet time afterwards, but it's all good.

I did buy myself one of those doughnut-shaped cushion things, but I rarely used it, didn't help at all. You'll figure out what's best for you, but take heart in knowing that it does get better.

Best wishes

Rob

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Did your surgeon give you the list of choices as to where your tattoo can be placed or the list of tattoo choices? They do it while you're out so there's no discomfort. It's all for fun and to lighten your anxiety about the surgery.
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Lots of pillows to prop and get comfy. Take your meds as scheduled. It's not a short recovery, so gather some books and find a hobby you can do lying on either side. Don't get discouraged. I learned to empty my bag from an almost standing position. Put toilet paper in the toilet to keep from splashing up. I took collagen pills and made sure to get enough protein for good healing. Once off pain meds, ibuprofen worked fine.
The payoff for me (I had the whole thing at once) is being able to drink coffee in my car. :) Never worrying if you are going to make it to the bathroom. I am a year and a half post-surgery.

Yes, as much protein as you can eat. Not worrying about making it to a bathroom is a huge relief, no pun intended.

Keep positive that any discomfort you might have will end shortly. I had mine done on May 13th and am now not even noticing it anymore. I sit on a nice comfy cushion in my car and at work and this seems to have really helped the healing process. Tylenol helps and keep your dressing clean of course. We all go through this and come out the other side I've learned. This whole rectal cancer experience has taught me patience as healing takes time. Stay as comfortable as you can and stay busy without lifting. Life will be back to normal before you know it!!!

What is Barbie Butt surgery?

It's where your butt gets sewn shut for whatever reason and once it heals, you get a butt that looks like a Barbie doll butt.

Mine is an action figure butt.

I used to take sitz baths at least 3 times per day. You can actually buy one from a medical store to sit on your toilet. But it is more comfortable to sit in the tub. This helped tremendously to ease the discomfort afterwards. But, the surgery was well worth going through. It saved my life and also allowed me to live my life.

Best of luck. Stay positive.

Love your sense of humor!

What are some of the different reasons for this surgery?

Mine was rectal cancer where the cancer was right at the opening, so there wasn't anything to attach back to when they cut it out. They were hoping the chemotherapy and radiation would shrink it enough for there to be enough to connect to, but there wasn't.

Same.

I had vaginal cancer that was too close to the rectum and too much damage from previous radiation therapy to make another option reasonable.

The sitz bath is an absolute necessity in our situation. Warm water with a pinch of Epsom salts is extremely comforting when the pain flares up. There's a toilet seat extender thingy available that keeps you up a bit higher and takes the strain off the wound. I was using mine several times a day even before the big surgery due to fistulas, seton drains, etc. The surgery is no fun but I really think I had more debilitating pain beforehand. I'm seven months out and it's still hurting and itching but even with that, I'm much happier now.

Same here

I am 2 weeks post-op from my Barbie butt/ostomy surgery. I get stitches out in a week. I was feeling fine with my butt and wasn't having much pain. Over the weekend, one of my sciatic nerves was screaming at me. I borrowed my fiance's purple pillow for that. I sat on it for about 30 minutes. Now my butt is uncomfortable again.

You're lucky if you can comfortably sit being only a couple of weeks from surgery. I'm surprised your surgeon even wants you sitting yet unless it's on one side or the other. Hope the stitches coming out goes well. Mine were dissolvable so I didn't get the joy of having them taken out.

Just a question. Does the Barbie Butt still bother anyone after the stitches come out? I'm trying to prepare myself

For me, yes. Not so much that I can't sit, it's more what I can't sit on. I can tell in about 10 seconds when I sit down on something if it's gonna be comfortable or I'll be changing seats or standing up. My metal patio furniture is horrible but I can sit on a picnic table bench with no issue. Soft chairs are no problem. Oh, and I won't be doing the splits any time soon.

How long ago did you have the surgery?

March of 2021. The radiation wound I had, which was right where they cut you open and then sew you shut, was about the size of half a hot dog. So, I have a very tender tush, or I'm a big sissy, not sure which.

Thanks for the info.