Why is pelvic organ prolapse so complicated and distressing?
With pelvic organ prolapse, one of the organs in the pelvic region—such as the uterus, rectum or bladder—drops downwards and bulges into the vagina.
What follows is a number of bothersome symptoms, such as:
- A persistent feeling that something foreign is inside you. The feeling worsens walking standing or during bowel movements.
- A persistent pressure or pain in the pelvis and lower back.
- Troublesome urinary problems such as the need to constantly pass urine or the leaking of urine.
- Painful sex or urination
In some cases, the uterus and vagina may bulge through the vaginal opening. For many, this can be embarrassing and make sex uncomfortable, difficult and in some instances impossible.
Does pelvic organ prolapse go away?
Unfortunately, pelvic organ prolapse will not go away without surgery. Untreated pelvic organ prolapse will remain the same and in many cases simply deteriorate over time.
There is one exception.
If you have a mild prolapse after childbirth, it will in many cases resolve itself one year or so after delivery. In other words, the prolapse will follow the normal recovery trend after childbirth.
Otherwise, apart from pelvic organ prolapse after childbirth, prolapses tend to stabilize if managed with conservative treatments or get worse.
Why is surgery often necessary if you have pelvic organ prolapse?
An organ prolapse is not a life-threatening condition so you may choose to leave it untreated.
Of course, there are measures that can improve the condition and relieve the symptoms. For instance, pelvic floor exercises (kegel exercises) can strengthen your pelvic floor, improve the support for the prolapsed organ, and relieve the symptoms—though it won’t resolve the prolapse completely or reverse it..
In some instances, you may use vaginal pessaries. These are medical devices inserted in the vagina to provide support. In general, they will hold up the vaginal or uterus walls and push back the prolapse.
However the most effective way to comprehensively treat a pelvic organ prolapse is surgery that is tailored to repair the prolapse. Ideally your doctor will restore the organ to its place, tighten your pelvic floor muscles, and restore necessary support in your pelvic region so the prolapse is successfully eliminated.
The type of surgery required will depend largely on the organ involved and the specific degree of prolapse. Hence, your doctor will customize the procedure to meet your specific condition and needs.
At St Pete Urology, we help women recover from mild, moderate or severe pelvic organ prolapse. Speaking with one of our experienced urologists will enable you to make an informed decision on how to manage a prolapse.
