Pelvic Organ Prolapse is More Common Than You Think

It’s difficult to estimate how many women experience pelvic organ prolapse because many women are embarrassed to talk about it. According to the U.S. Office on Women’s Health, it affects almost 3 percent of women in the United States. Other studies estimate that up to half of women over age 50 have some degree of pelvic organ prolapse, though they may not all need treatment.

Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when the muscles, ligaments and tissues supporting the pelvic organs weaken, which allows the organs to fall out of place. If you think you may have suffered a pelvic organ prolapse, don’t be embarrassed to talk to your doctor.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Causes and Symptoms

The two leading causes of pelvic organ prolapse are vaginal childbirth, which stretches the pelvic muscles, and menopause, which decreases a woman’s estrogen levels. Other risk factors include pelvic surgeries such as hysterectomy, giving birth to a baby weighing more than 8.5 pounds, smoking, obesity and family history. White and Hispanic women suffer pelvic organ prolapse more frequently than other races.

The most common symptom of pelvic organ prolapse is a bulge. Women experiencing prolapsed pelvis say they feel a bulge in the vaginal area or feel like something’s falling down. Other symptoms include urinary problems like leakage or difficulty starting the urine stream, vaginal pain, difficulty having bowel movements and problems inserting tampons. The symptoms often progress gradually.

You should see a doctor if you are exhibiting these symptoms. Your doctor will perform a physical exam to look for bulging and other signs and evaluate the strength of the pelvic floor muscles. You may also undergo other tests such as a pelvic ultrasound or urodynamic testing that evaluate the functions of the bladder and urethra.

How is Pelvic Organ Prolapse Treated?

The pelvic health experts at Holy Cross Hospital and Holy Cross Germantown Hospital are experienced at treating pelvic organ prolapse. Your treatment will depend on a number of factors, including your symptoms, age, and other medical conditions you may have. The first line of treatment your doctor may try is a pessary, which is a removable device inserted into the vagina to support the pelvic organs. Another possibility is physical therapy, which focuses on pelvic floor rehabilitation, muscle strengthening and relaxation. Holy Cross Health’s physical therapists can help patients learn how to do techniques like Kegel exercises and other strategies to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.

Your doctor may recommend surgery to restore the pelvic organs to their original position. Some surgical procedures place a graft of tissue to support the vagina, while others use stitching to strengthen the vaginal wall. Shobha Sikka, MD, a pelvic floor surgeon at Holy Cross Hospital and Holy Cross Germantown Hospital, says surgery can be done vaginally or abdominally. “When we do the surgery vaginally, we use some strong ligaments in the patient's pelvis to help support the vagina,” she says. “The other way surgery can be done is abdominally, and nowadays we use the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System to do the pelvic organ prolapse surgeries abdominally, which really cuts down on the recovery time and really helps the patients tremendously with their symptoms.”

Pelvic Prolapse Treatment

Watch Shobha Sikka, MD, Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgeon at Holy Cross Health, discuss treatment for pelvic organ prolapse. Learn more about pelvic organ prolapse.

Holy Cross Health presents the information in this blog as a resource for our community. It is not intended to replace professional medical advice or to endorse any particular entity or service. Personal health problems should be brought to the attention of the appropriate health professionals.