Understanding Pelvic & Genital Organ Prolapse: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

What is it?

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) occurs when the tissue and muscles of your pelvic floor no longer support the pelvic organs resulting in the drop (prolapse) of the pelvic organs from their normal position into or out of the vagina.
The pelvic organs include the vagina, cervix, uterus, bladder, urethra, and rectum. The bladder is the most commonly involved organ in pelvic organ prolapse.
Supporting muscles and tissue of the pelvic floor may become torn or stretched because of labor or childbirth or may weaken with age. Other risk factors for POP include genetic predisposition, connective tissue disorder, obesity and frequent constipation.

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Additional names

This group contains additional names:
- Incomplete Uterovaginal Prolapse
- Cervical Stump Prolapse
- Prolapse of Vaginal Wall
- Midline Cystocele Prolapse of Vaginal Walls
- Postoperative Vaginal Prolapse
- Rectocele Prolapse of Vaginal Walls
- Lateral Cystocele Prolapse of Vaginal Walls
- Old Laceration of Pelvic Muscles
- Vaginal Enterocele
- Uterine Prolapse

Signs & symptoms

Many women have some degree of pelvic organ prolapse, although not all women have symptoms.
Women who have symptoms may experience pelvic discomfort or pain, pressure and other symptoms including leakage of urine (urinary incontinence) and sexual difficulties.

Diagnosis

Your doctor will talk to you about your symptoms and do a pelvic exam. You may be asked to strain or cough during the exam so your doctor can see whether these actions cause prolapse or urine leakage. Your doctor may also do other tests to see whether you can completely empty your bladder when you go to the bathroom.

Treatment

If you have no symptoms or the prolapse does not bother you, no treatment is needed.
If you do have symptoms, there are a few treatment options:
-Pelvic floor muscle training- also known as Kegel exercises, helps strengthen your pelvic floor and can improve your symptoms.
-Pessary- a removable device that is inserted into your vagina to support the pelvic organ(s) that have prolapsed.
-Surgery may be recommended if you have significant discomfort or pain that impairs your quality of life.

☝️ This is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult with your physician before making any medical decision.

Learn more about our editorial process for content accuracy.

Source of Information - We analyze big data of more than 23 million patients de-identified medical records from the following sources:

National Institution of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ University of Illinois hospital