This article is from an Australian website but we won’t hold that against it 😉 The information is clearly presented.
You can click on the link below or simply read on. I have copied the article so I could highlight the parts I found most informative.
Pelvic organ prolapse: the facts
July 4, 2013
Brooke Lumsden
Writer
What is it?
Pelvic organ prolapse (also known as prolapsed uterus or uterine prolapse) occurs when any or all of the pelvic organs – the bladder, bowel and uterus – descend into the vagina. This prolapse is the major cause of incontinence.
The prolapse happens when the three support structures of the pelvic organs – the suspensory ligaments, pelvic floor muscles and muscular tissue surrounding the vaginal walls – are damaged. This damage is often caused by vaginal birth, as tearing, forceps delivery, an episiotomy, large infant birth weight and a prolonged second stage of labour can all contribute to pelvic injury during the birthing process. This can also cause damage to the nerves that enable the muscles to function.
Having a caesarean section, however, may not help avoid this condition altogether, as over-stretching during pregnancy is also a major contributing factor.
Other risk factors include heavy lifting, chronic constipation, chronic asthma (because of the constant straining of muscles and ligaments), obesity and ageing.
What are the symptoms?
According to Associate Professor Caroline Gargett, from the Monash Institute for Medical Research’s Ritchie Centre, 70 per cent of the 4.8 million Australians who experience incontinence are women; in fact, one in four women will have one or more of the symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse, with urinary incontinence the most common sign.
Other symptoms will vary depending on the severity of the prolapse. These include:
bowel incontinence
sexual problems, such as pain or less feeling
uncomfortable, heavy feeling in the vaginal area
a lump or bulge in the vagina
a weak urine stream or your bladder may not be emptying as it should
recurring urinary tract infections
difficulty in emptying your bowel
These symptoms may occur during pregnancy, after childbirth, or even later in life, particularly following menopause.
According to the Continence Foundation, these symptoms can be worse at the end of the day, and may also ease after lying down. Some women may also experience soreness and bleeding if the prolapse bulges outside the body and rubs on their underwear.
How is it diagnosed?
As pelvic organ prolapse is such a common condition that doesn’t go away on its own, there’s plenty of help available. Symptoms can be checked initially by a GP, physiotherapist or continence nurse advisor, who will assist you in finding the best way to deal with prolapse.
Prolapses can also be discovered by your doctor during a routine Pap smear test.
[The National Continence Helpline can be contacted for further assistance on 1800 33 00 66.]
What’s the treatment?
There are several stages of pelvic organ prolapse, varying from stage 1 (the uterus is in the upper part of the vagina) through to stage IV (in which the uterus is completely out of the vagina), so treatment varies according to the severity of the case.
The simplest treatment and prevention method for mild cases of pelvic organ prolapse includes daily pelvic floor exercises and the use of pessaries, which are small medical devices similar to the outer ring of a diaphragm which help support the vaginal walls.
More severe cases of pelvic organ prolapse require reconstructive surgery. This surgery not only provides support for the vaginal walls, but also the damaged pelvic floor muscles and overstretched ligaments. Unfortunately, of the sufferers that do have this surgery, 15-29 per cent will require further operations due to surgical failure.
Although products have been created to help reduce the number of surgical failures, they have often come with their own set of problems. To help avoid these complications, a new tissue-engineering approach is being developed by scientists at the Ritchie Centre, who are working with CSIRO and urogynaecologists in using a woman’s own stem cells to repair the vaginal wall tissues. By combining these endometrial stem cells with new mesh materials, the scientists are hoping this approach has the potential to regenerate damaged pelvic tissues and provide a more durable solution. However, this development is still being trialled and is likely to be around five years away from the market.
Forceps - the follow-on blog 