Over time the muscle and connective tissue that support a woman’s bladder, uterus, and rectum can become weakened. When this happens, the pelvic organs can “prolapse” -or slip down- from their usual positions.
Symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse include a bulge in the vagina, discomfort or pressure to the pelvic area, urinary incontinence, and tissue moving out of the vagina. Clinical research has demonstrated that up to 50 percent of all women experience pelvic organ prolapse to some degree or another, with around 3 to 6 percent of women noticing more severe symptoms.
Treatments for Pelvic Organ Prolapse
After being diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse, there are a number of recommendations your doctor may make, which may include a simple wait-and-see approach to determine if the condition worsens. They may also recommend exercises that help strengthen the pelvic muscles. Gynecologists may also insert a pessary, a removable vaginal device that helps support pelvic organs.
However, if none of these options provide the necessary relief, your doctor may recommend pelvic organ prolapse surgery.
Types of Surgery for Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Once it has been determined that Pelvic Organ Prolapse surgery is the appropriate option, there are two types of surgery to consider: obliterative surgery and reconstructive surgery.
During obliterative pelvic organ prolapse surgery, the prolapsed organs are given support by narrowing or closing off the vagina. During reconstructive pelvic organ prolapse surgery, the organs are moved back into their original locations, where they then may be supported by a surgical mesh to keep the pelvic organs from moving.
Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery Methods
While traditional, “open” pelvic organ prolapse repair surgery requires a long incision to be made, modern advancements in women’s health technology have yielded a number of minimally invasive pelvic prolapse surgery methods. These include vaginal and laparoscopic surgery, as well as robotic-assisted surgery methods such as the daVinci robotic Surgery System.
During vaginal surgery, the entire procedure is performed through the vagina. Negating the need for abdominal incisions, vaginal pelvic organ prolapse surgery ranks among the least invasive surgical procedures.
Laparoscopic and robotic-assisted pelvic organ prolapse surgery are both significantly less invasive than traditional open surgery – performed by making a few tiny incisions in the abdomen. During laparoscopic pelvic organ prolapse surgery, long-handled tools are used while the surgeon views magnified images from the laparoscope -a surgical camera- on a video screen.
The daVinci robotic-assisted surgery system is one of the safest and most advanced means of performing pelvic organ prolapse surgery. By using high resolution, 3-D magnified view of the inside of the patient’s body, daVinci robotic surgery offers levels of precision that were previously impossible. The daVinci system translates each movement of your surgeon’s hand into bending and rotating the robotic surgical instruments with real-time precision.
daVinci robotic-assisted pelvic organ prolapse surgery also leaves patients with more durable repair to their pelvic floor, because of the number and accuracy of the sutures or “stitches” that the robot can accomplish.
And of course, smaller incisions result in significantly less pain that other surgical methods, as well as a more rapid and comfortable period of recovery.
Minimally Invasive Pelvic Prolapse Surgery – Warren, MI
Our highly-qualified Warren, MI gynecologic surgeons are committed to offering patients the most comfortable and effective pelvic organ prolapse surgery. By using the best surgical technology the field of women’s help has to offer, including the daVinci robotic-assisted pelvic organ prolapse surgery, our doctors will work tirelessly to ensure the best surgical experience for our patients.
Schedule an appointment to see how our skilled and compassionate pelvic prolapse surgeons can help you find relief with minimally invasive surgery.