Exploring Health Concerns and Treatments

If you have recently been diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse and your symptoms were not eased with a non-surgical intervention like the use of a pessary or exercises to increase the strength of your pelvic floor, surgery is often recommended. However, it's important to note that there are different ways that a pelvic organ prolapse can manifest and symptoms can vary tremendously from one woman to the next. Therefore, it only makes sense that there is more than one type of surgery you might be a candidate for. The information shared below will be quite useful as you and your physician determine the most appropriate type of surgery for your needs.

Pain, Incontinence, And Pelvic Pressure Are Common Symptoms Of Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Sadly, pelvic organ prolapse is poorly understood by many women and physicians don't always provide specific information about the issue until you've been diagnosed with it. That has resulted in many women not knowing they have it or needlessly accepting that the issues they are plagued with are normal after having a baby or as part of getting older.    

However, urinating after coughing or vigorous activity, including sex, is not normal and could indicate that there is a problem. In addition, some women experience significant pain due to the severity of the prolapse.   

There Are Different Surgical Options 

Once you understand the issue and are willing to undergo surgery, you might be surprised to discover that there is not a one-size-fits-all type of reconstructive surgery for treating pelvic organ prolapse. For instance, the severity of the damage and its location will impact the type of surgery that you need. Specifically, if your symptoms include issues with bowel control, it's quite possible that the pelvic muscles have weakened enough that your rectum is collapsing into the vagina. 

In that instance, your surgeon may need to perform surgery that uses your own muscle tissue to raise and support the area between your vagina and rectum. Alternatively, a similar procedure is likely to be needed if the bladder has been affected by the prolapse. If the uterus has been impacted, pain during sexual has been reported. If you are sure that your family is complete, removing the uterus entirely in lieu of attempting to suspend it is a viable option.

However, if you're unsure as to whether or not you want to get pregnant again, it's best to delay any surgery unless you have no choice. That is because pregnancy and childbirth could result in a recurrence of the issue.      

In conclusion, pelvic reconstructive surgery is often needed as the result of giving birth or the ravages of aging. Therefore, you should be familiar with the aforementioned facts if less invasive treatment options for pelvic organ prolapse have been unsuccessful and surgical intervention becomes necessary. Talk to a doctor, like Western Branch Center for Women, for more help.