What is Pelvic Prolapse?

Pelvic prolapse is a condition that develops when your pelvic floor organs fall down into the vaginal canal. This prolapse can cause a wide variety of issues that interfere with your physical health, your sexual function, and your self-confidence.

At Raveco Medical, our experienced team of gynecologists specialize in advanced treatment options for pelvic prolapse, including minimally invasive surgery. We also offer personalized strategies to reduce your risk of ever experiencing pelvic organ prolapse.

Understanding pelvic organ prolapse

The underlying cause of pelvic organ prolapse is weakness in the muscles that support your pelvic floor organs. These organs include your bladder, uterus, cervix, vagina, and rectum.

Weakness in the muscles can occur due to age-related changes in your body that happen naturally, especially after menopause. You may also be at a higher risk for pelvic prolapse after pregnancy and childbirth because these events can stretch out the pelvic muscle.

Other factors that can cause pelvic organ prolapse include:

• Obesity
• Genetics
• Frequent constipation
• Connective tissue disorders

Pelvic prolapse can cause you to experience symptoms, such as urinary incontinence and pain with sex. You may also have a more severe prolapse if you can feel or see tissues or organs bulging out of your vagina. 

While any of your pelvic floor organs can fall into the vaginal canal, the bladder is often the organ that falls first.

Options for treating pelvic organ prolapse

It’s possible to have pelvic organ prolapse without noticeable protruding organs. Your treatment plan depends on the severity of your prolapse and your level of discomfort.

In the early stages of prolapse, you may benefit from doing pelvic floor exercises (Kegels). These exercises target the same muscles that you squeeze together to stop the flow of urine. Regular muscle-tightening activities help strengthen the muscles in your pelvic floor so they can better support your organs to prevent prolapse.

If you have one or more organs already out of position, you may benefit from a pessary. This removable device fits inside your vagina to support your pelvic floor.

Surgery may be a last-resort option for treating pelvic organ prolapse when other treatments don’t work. Our team may also recommend surgery if you have severe prolapse that causes the protrusion of organs through your vagina.

What to expect from pelvic prolapse surgery

Our providers at Raveco Medical use advanced, minimally invasive surgical techniques to complete surgery. These techniques allow us to target the treatment area without damaging nearby tissues.

Your surgeon uses sutures or surgical mesh to repair and stabilize your pelvic floor muscles after moving your organs back into place. They can also further secure your bladder into place with mesh to reduce symptoms of urinary incontinence.

Before recommending you for surgery, our providers review your medical history, the severity of your symptoms, and your plans for family. This information also helps us design a surgical plan to address your prolapse symptoms without interfering with your long-term physical, sexual, or reproductive health.

To learn more about the available treatment options for pelvic prolapse, schedule a consultation online or call the Raveco Medical office nearest you today.