What is vaginal prolapse?

Your pelvic floor contains a network of tissues, including muscles, ligaments, and connective tissue (fascia) that hold your pelvic organs in place. Pelvic organs include your vagina, uterus, bladder, and rectum.

Various life events, including childbirth, pelvic surgeries, and increasing age, may cause this support network of tissues to become damaged or weakened. When that happens, your vaginal wall can stretch and droop into other pelvic organs. This is called vaginal prolapse.

What are different types of pelvic organ prolapse?

There are different types of vaginal prolapse depending on the organs involved. Common forms of vaginal prolapse include:

• Cystocele, which occurs between the vagina and bladder
• Rectocele, which occurs between the vagina and rectum
• Enterocele, which happens when the small intestine drops into the vagina
• Uterine prolapse, which involves the uterus dropping into the vagina

If you’ve had your uterus removed in a hysterectomy procedure, the top part of your vagina may collapse and drop down. This is called vaginal vault prolapse.

What are symptoms of vaginal prolapse?

The type of symptoms you experience depend on the pelvic organs affected by your condition. Symptoms of vaginal vault prolapse include:

• Pelvic pressure or discomfort
• Difficulty emptying your bladder during urination
• Increased urinary tract infections
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Abnormal vaginal bleeding

You may also feel a bulge in your vagina and need to put pressure on this bulge with your fingers in order to urinate or move your bowels.

Many women don’t experience symptoms of vaginal prolapse, but those who do can find them extremely difficult to cope with. The compassionate team at Bela Vida Urogynecology works with you to create a treatment plan that relieves your symptoms and restores your quality of life.

How is vaginal prolapse diagnosed and treated?

Your provider at Bela Vida Urogynecology can diagnose vaginal prolapse with a physical exam and review of your symptoms and medical history. Then, they create a personalized treatment plan that may include:

• Exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor
• Devices like a pessary
• Pelvic reconstruction surgery

The expert surgeons at Bela Vida Urogynecology use minimally invasive robotic-assisted techniques whenever possible. To find relief from vaginal prolapse, call or book an appointment online today.