Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Pelvic organ prolapse is one of the most common pelvic floor disorders that affect women as they age. When the muscles and ligaments supporting a woman's pelvic organs weaken, one or more of the pelvic organs can slip down from their normal position and bulge into the vagina. It can be the womb (uterus), bowel, bladder, or top of the vagina (vagina vault).

Pelvic Organ Prolapse Symptoms

Consult your urologist if you are experiencing these symptoms:

• Feeling or seeing a bulge in the vagina
• Pressure during sex or other physical activity
• A persistent feeling of fullness, pressure, or aching in the pelvis that gets worse when standing or coughing
• Incontinence
• Problems with bowel movements
• Difficulty inserting tampons

Causes of Pelvic Organ prolapse

Women most commonly develop pelvic organ prolapse years after childbirth (especially a long, difficult birth or giving birth to large or multiple babies), after a hysterectomy (a surgical procedure to remove the womb), or after menopause.

Other factors that can weaken your pelvic floor and increase your chance of developing pelvic organ prolapse are being overweight, having chronic constipation, or a job that requires a lot of heavy lifting.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse Diagnosis

Sometimes pelvic organ prolapse has no symptoms and is found during cervical screening.

To diagnose the condition, a physical examination is essential. Your urologist will do an internal pelvic examination to feel for lumps in the pelvic area and inside the vagina. An instrument, called a speculum, will be placed into the vagina to hold the walls of it open for your doctor to examine the vagina and uterus. Further tests include a urine test to look for an infection and inserting a small tube into your bladder to look for any problems.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse Treatment Options

There are surgical and non-surgical options for treating pelvic organ prolapse.

Pelvic floor exercises (Kegel exercise) and lifestyle changes, such as losing weight (if you are overweight), avoiding heavy lifting, and treating constipation, can help treat mild prolapse.

For more severe prolapse, treatment options include:

• hormone treatment
• vaginal pessary (where a rubber or plastic doughnut-shaped device that fits around or under the lower part of the uterus is inserted to help prop up the uterus and hold it in place)
• surgery, such as a prolapse repair, hysterectomy (removing the uterus), or colpocleisis (which closes the vaginal opening)

Seek recommendations on suitable treatment options for pelvic organ prolapse with Colin Teo Urology. Contact us to book an appointment today.