Pelvic Organ Prolapse (Pelvic Support Problems)

Over time, the effects of childbirth, injury or other health issues can cause your pelvic-floor muscles to weaken. When this happens, your bladder, rectum, vagina and uterus can lose their support and begin to "slip," which we know as prolapse.  Women often feel as if “something is falling out of the vagina” or have pelvic pressure, heaviness, urinary leakage or problems having a bowel movement.  The main types of pelvic support problems and the pelvic organ that can cause bulging are as the follows:

1. Cystocele - bladder

2.  Rectocele - rectum

3. Enterocele – vagina and small intestine

4. Uterine prolapse - uterus

Pelvic support problems may be improved by wearing a vaginal pessary or corrected by surgery, which may be done either through the vagina or abdomen.  Surgery may relieve some, but not all, of the symptoms caused by pelvic support problems.  In a few cases, symptoms may return or persist.  During the surgery, the doctor has to use the already weakened connective tissue and muscles that are within your pelvis to improve your pelvic support.  If the tissue and muscles are too weakened, then synthetic or natural materials may be used to help correct the problems.