Prolapse

A common problem experienced by women is prolapse of the vagina or uterus. This is when there is visible lump or bulge present at the entrance to the vagina. It tends to be present when a woman has been on her feet all day or done strenuous exercise but sometimes it is present most of the time.

Prolapse may cause the awareness of a bulge, discomfort with sex or difficulty emptying the bladder or bowel. It has many causes but certainly age and numbers of children are the highest risk factors. More than 10% of all women choose to have an operation for prolapse at some time in their life. A very common problem indeed!

There are options in the treatment of prolapse and these include wait and see what happens and treat if it worsens. Most women know that trying pelvic floor exercises can give some relief of their symptoms. If conservative measures aren’t a success then women can choose to either wear a vaginal pessary (small plastic device in the vagina) to hold up the prolapse or they can opt to have surgery to repair the damaged tissues.