In this article the skilled and experienced gynecologic surgeons at Hutzel Women’s Health in Warren, MI answer patients’ frequently asked question about Pelvic Prolapse Surgery.
What is pelvic prolapse?
Pelvic prolapse transpires when the connective tissues and muscles in a woman’s pelvis weaken, resulting in them stretching and tearing. During a pelvic prolapse, the pelvic organs -which include the uterus, bladder, rectum, cervix, and bowel- are no longer supported by the pelvic floor, and can slip from their intended location into the vagina.
There are numerous different terms for pelvic prolapse. These range from the medical, which includes, cystocele, rectocele, and enterocele, to the more colloquial “dropped bladder,” “dropped uterus,” “dropped rectum,” or “dropped vagina.”
While pelvic prolapse can be physically uncomfortable -and in some cases, extremely painful- many people often experience embarrassment, as pelvic prolapse can interfere with sexual intimacy or get in the way of performing daily activities.
What does pelvic prolapse feel like?
As pelvic prolapse is a hernia of the vagina, a woman experiencing prolapse may feel uncomfortable vaginal pressure. Pelvic prolapse may also feel like a “bulge” in the vagina.
What causes pelvic prolapse?
Pelvic prolapse occurs when the vaginal tissues are weakened. The most common occurrences of pelvic prolapse happen during and after pregnancy and childbirth. Nevertheless, women who have never been pregnant may still experience pelvic prolapse. Poor tissue, hormone changes, chronic constipation, chronic cough, and repetitive heavy lifting can all result in pelvic prolapse.
As the hormonal changes of menopause can results in the weakening of muscles and tissues of the pelvic floor, women over the age of 60 are most likely to suffer from pelvic prolapse. As the body ages, the pelvic floor can become weakened, which can also result in pelvic prolapse.
Pelvic Prolapse can also be caused by certain diseases, such as connective tissue disorders. It is also believed that some women may have a hereditary predisposition to pelvic prolapse.
The severity of an individual’s pelvic prolapse symptoms may be worse at different times throughout the day. Some women report that walking or standing for long periods of time aggravates the pressure of pelvic prolapse.
Is pelvic prolapse serious?
While it can be uncomfortable and even a little embarrassing, in most cases, pelvic prolapse is not life threatening. And with numerous treatment options available, pelvic prolapse can be effectively treated in by our skilled Warren, MI OBGYNs and sgynecologic surgeons.
The severity of pelvic prolapse varies from woman to woman. In some cases, using conservative treatment options will cause the pelvic prolapse to stay the same. In others, the prolapse may worsen over time. In almost all cases, however, letting pelvic prolapse go untreated will cause the condition to gradually worsen over time.
For the most part, prolapse will not improve without surgery. One exception is in cases of “new prolapse,” which occurs during the early postpartum period, which will often resolve itself within the first year after childbirth.
How is Pelvic Prolapse treated?
The treatment one chooses for pelvic prolapse typically depends on the severity of their pelvic prolapse symptoms. Many women implement pelvic floor exercise and pelvic floor therapy, as well as dietary changes as conservative treatment options for pelvic prolapse. Another treatment option is a “pessary”, a device inserted into the vagina to hold the organs in place. When a woman’s symptoms become too uncomfortable or painful to treat with other options, pelvic prolapse surgery may be considered.
Is there minimally invasive surgery for Pelvic Prolapse?
Our expert surgeons are highly experienced in the reconstruction of the pelvic floor, often through robotically assisted laparoscopic pelvic prolapse surgery.
daVinci robotic-assisted pelvic prolapse surgery is the most technologically advanced means of treating pelvic organ prolapse. The daVinci system allows for the surgeon to view high-definition 3-D imaging of the surgical area, allowing for unprecedented precision.
Patients who undergo daVinci robotic-assisted pelvic prolapse surgery receive smaller incisions than they would during a traditional surgery, which results in less pain, a sturdier pelvic floor, and some of the fastest recovery times of any surgical procedure.
Pelvic Prolapse Treatment & Surgery – Warren, MI
Our skilled and understanding gynecologic surgeons strive to give our patients the best experience possible when treating this debilitating condition, using top-of-the-line technology such as the daVinci robotically-assisted surgery system to relieve our patients of pelvic prolapse.
Schedule an appointment to see how our skilled and compassionate Warren, MI pelvic prolapse surgeons can help you.