Spa after endometriosis surgery: My month in Františkovy Lázně and the path to recovery

Article author: Lucie, Femvie ambassador

When I received a recommendation for a spa after my endometriosis surgery, I didn't know what to expect, and to be honest, I didn't really want to go there. A month away from home, another few weeks away from the normal life that I missed so much during my long recovery after my endometriosis surgery. But my condition was stagnant, so I decided to go at the last minute. I went for indication XI/3, the duration of the treatment is 28 days.

Endometriosis and a spa stay

There is no indication for a comprehensive spa stay (KLP) directly for endometriosis as such, but you can go for one of the following:

• Indication XI/3 – Conditions after complicated gynecological surgeries / Conditions after complicated surgeries in the pelvic area (you need to leave here within 3 months after the surgery date, I recommend planning your departure after the end of the six-week postpartum period)

• If you have been trying to have a baby for a long time without success, you can go for indication XI/1 – Primary sterility and infertility (3 or more spontaneous abortions) / Secondary sterility due to inflammatory and functional causes.

Direction Františkovy Lázně

The place of treatment for me was Františkovy Lázně . This spa is renowned for its specialization in gynecological balneotherapy , which uses exclusively Františkovy Lázně natural resources. Completing a spa treatment after pelvic surgery reduces the formation of postoperative adhesions, promotes scar healing and reduces the risk of infertility.

But the biggest benefit for me was the relaxation, the all-round care, the opportunity to slow down and learn to be here and now. In the spa, you don't have to worry about cleaning, cooking and other daily activities, your task is only to be at the designated time for individual procedures and relax there. And that is exactly what I needed most after the operation.

I had the procedures 3-4 times a day from Monday to Saturday. For the first 2 weeks, I slept through all the afternoons after the procedures, I usually slept about 13 hours a day, which according to the doctor and nurses from the spa is a completely normal side effect. The body got a signal that there was room for rest, and so it asked for it even more. Thanks to this, the healing process started for me. For the remaining 2 weeks, however, only a night's sleep was usually enough for me, so I went for walks to the springs, swam in the pool or read in the park. But now for the procedures themselves. I will introduce a few of them to you here, so that you are not surprised like I was and you know what to prepare for and look forward to. Let's go.

Gynecological gas bath

Don't expect any soaking in the bathtub, as this bath is dry and also sedentary. It takes place in the very heart of the city in a building with the sign Uhličíté lázná plynové.

Upon entering the building, the spa lady led me to a small room with a chair, mirror, and coat rack, from which a few steps lead down to a special bidet. I took off my underwear and went to sit on the throne for 15 minutes. It sounds bizarre and you might feel like nothing special is happening, but the bidet emits dry spring gas, which is said to have miraculous effects on women's fertility and helps blood circulation, which contributes to healing after surgery.

Also read the article Hormonal contraception through the eyes of a woman with endometriosis .

Vaginal irrigation

I admit that the building Imperial Baths I learned to visit calmly only after throwing away all shame. I leave my underwear in the changing room again and go with my bare bottom into the next room, where there are three gynecological chairs separated by curtains. When I sit down on the chair, I notice that there is a waste pipe running from under the seat of the chair and opposite me is a metal barrel with a long hose. The spa lady explained to me without any hesitation what and how, and that's it.

She put a special “shovel” under my butt with holes for water drainage and an attachment for holding an irrigator. She took a hose connected to a barrel, put an irrigator (a vaginal irrigation device) on it and stuck it between my legs. It couldn’t have been any weirder. The spa lady slowly started to release warm mineral water from the barrel, which is a mixture of two spa springs – Císařský and Adler. The whole procedure takes 15 minutes and is usually done every other day. These special vaginal irrigations are intended to promote healing by warming the small pelvis , and the carbon dioxide contained in the mineral water helps blood flow to the mucosa.

Swamp vaginal tampon

An alternative to vaginal irrigation is a peat vaginal tampon , which I didn't have a chance to try, but I don't regret it that much, because from what other girls have said, it didn't sound very appealing - maybe you can guess why from the name. Anyway, I can't deprive you of a description of this procedure, because it is used very often if you are on a gynecological stay, and it is considered the holy grail of spa treatment of infertility.

Bog is a miraculous mud that is used for baths and compresses, but also for vaginal use in women. In this procedure, the virgin bog is inserted into the vagina with a special applicator and tamponed. After 15 minutes of action, the vagina is rinsed and that's it. Usually, the bog tampon is combined with a bog wrap for the lower abdomen and lower back. Thanks to this, the entire small pelvis is nicely warmed up, which helps tissue regeneration after surgery, supports fertility and relaxes muscles . I still wonder how doctors came up with these procedures. But it's great that, despite how strange they are, they really help.

What else awaited me?

But the other treatments are just pleasant and I enjoyed them to the fullest. For example, a carbonic bath (so-called charcoal) is interesting because after I put it in the bath, tiny bubbles settled on my body - this is carbon dioxide, which has a positive effect on a number of problems. It helps blood circulation throughout the body, stabilizes blood pressure (carefully with low pressure), promotes wound healing, helps relax muscles, has an anti-stress effect and can help reduce pain and inflammation in rheumatic diseases, which for me, as a sufferer of bechterew's disease, meant taking care of my other illness as well.

Another great thing about the baths was that after leaving the bath, the nurse wrapped me in a sheet and I went to lie down on a lounger, where she also wrapped me in a blanket so that I could finish the whole relaxation beautifully. Thanks to this kind care, I felt like I was being looked after like a princess in the spa.

Other treatments included movement and I absolutely fell in love with yoga there. You don't have to worry about the intensity at all, the spa takes into account that you have had surgery. Therefore, a very gentle relaxation yoga was practiced , with an emphasis on working with the breath. This was my longest procedure, it lasted 50 minutes and I went to it once a week. Everyone who comes to the spa will receive an individual treatment plan based on their overall health, so don't be afraid to complain about your other ailments. My spa doctor and I agreed on several treatments focused on my Bechterew's disease, so I also enjoyed several massages , paraffin back wraps and I also tried the famous gas injections , which I was worried about at first, but they really helped me.

A few tips in conclusion

The whole spa stay surprised me very pleasantly, so if you have the opportunity to go to the spa, don't hesitate like I did and just go. Especially after the operation, I see it as a necessity that will help a lot in convalescence. If you go to Františkovy Lázně, you will be in a beautiful city full of parks, silence and peace that help recovery. I am really grateful that I had the opportunity to go, because here I learned to slow down and gained the strength that I lacked so much after the operation.

Final tip: If you have any dietary restrictions like I do, request a consultation with a nutritionist at the beginning of your stay. They will then always have a separate meal prepared for you in the kitchen to avoid allergen contamination.

Are you looking for a space where you can talk openly about women's health? Join our new Facebook communities – places to share experiences, understand your own body, and support each other. Whether you're dealing with endometriosis, PCOS, PMS, or going through menopause, you're not alone.

What else can you read on Femspace?

• Endometriosis: A New Perspective on Pain, Diagnosis, and a Holistic Approach to Care

• The discomfort that companies overlook: Why it's time to address menstrual pain in the workplace

• 5 common myths about adenomyosis

• How can endometriosis change throughout life?

• My girlfriend got her period. What should I (not) do?

• Do we need more sleep before menstruation?

• Spotting and bleeding outside of menstruation
  

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