CAN PROLAPSE BE TREATED WITH SURGERY?

While prolapse never leads to serious medical illness, it can make some women’s lives uncomfortable or even miserable. As we discussed in chapter 9, some women can effectively treat the symptoms created by pelvic prolapse simply by using a pessary. For some women though, a pessary is either too difficult or uncomfortable to use or simply doesn’t adequately alleviate the most bothersome symptoms. For those women, surgery can make an enormous difference in the quality of their lives.

Surgical repair of prolapse can be performed through abdominal incisions, incisions high up inside the vagina or, more recently, through small incisions in the navel and lower abdomen through which a laparoscope and small instruments are placed. It is common for more than one supporting structure of the pelvis to develop weakness or tears, so it’s not uncommon to find more than one area is in need of repair. The surgical repair of prolapse is undergoing a re-evaluation. As noted in chapter 8, MRI has recently been used to better define the specific areas of damage to muscles and supporting tissues that often lead to prolapse and incontinence. With this better understanding, doctors have developed new surgical procedures that are more likely to endure over the long run.

Before you proceed with surgery for prolapse, you should understand your particular problem and the treatment options available. This chapter includes an explanation of surgical procedures and the current thinking in urogynecology on each. We hope this information will help when you discuss your situation with a doctor.

• WHAT CAN BE DONE IF THE BLADDER IS BULGING?
• WHAT CAN BE DONE IF THE RECTUM IS BULGING?
• WHAT CAN BE DONE IF THE TOP OF THE VAGINA IS BULGING?
• WHAT CAN BE DONE IF THE UTERUS IS COMING DOWN?
• WHAT CAN BE DONE IF THE ENTIRE UTERUS IS DROPPING?
• CAN PROLAPSE OCCUR AFTER A HYSTERECTOMY?
• WHAT IS A MESH SUSPENSION?
• CAN LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY BE USED TO TREAT PROLAPSE?
• ARE THERE ANY MINOR SURGICAL PROCEDURES FOR PROLAPSE?
• CAN PROLAPSE REOCCUR AFTER SURGERY?

Edited Excerpts from our book
The Incontinence Solution

By William H. Parker, MD, Amy E. Rosenman, MD, and Rachel Parker

Order The Incontinence Solution directly from Amazon.com.

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