What is an OASIS perineal tear?

OASIS means an obstetric anal sphincter injury. It is a more extensive tear of the perineum after birth, involving some or all of the muscle that helps control bowel movements. The tear is examined and classified so the repair and follow-up match the injury. Soreness, swelling, difficulty sitting, and changes in bowel comfort can occur during healing.

A repaired tear does not mean you should accept ongoing pain, urgency, leakage of stool or wind, or difficulty controlling bowel movements. These symptoms can be discussed early, because targeted pelvic-floor care and specialist review may improve support and confidence.

Keep the area clean and dry as advised, take prescribed pain relief, and prevent hard stools with the bowel plan given by your maternity team. Avoid straining and increase activity gradually. Attend the follow-up appointment even if the wound feels better, because healing and bowel-control symptoms need review.

Postnatal physiotherapy can assess pelvic-floor function, breathing, movement, and bowel-control concerns. If the wound opens, becomes more painful, or does not heal as expected, the maternity team may discuss perineal repair or another assessment.

Contact your maternity team promptly for worsening pain, spreading redness, increasing swelling, pus, fever, wound separation, heavy bleeding, or difficulty passing urine or stool. Seek urgent help for severe illness, uncontrolled bleeding, or sudden loss of bowel control with significant pain.

Ask which structures were involved, how the repair is healing, when pelvic-floor exercises should begin, and which bowel-control changes should trigger an earlier review.