Understanding Your Treatment Options for Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a life-altering condition where your pelvic tissues and muscles that support your pelvic organs — the vagina, bladder, uterus, and rectum — weaken. The result is that an organ can sag, push into another organ, or even fall outside of the body.

The majority of those affected by POP are postmenopausal women, but there’s no reason to be hesitant about talking to your OB/GYN about it since nearly half of women have prolapse to some extent. 

As part of the extensive menu of advanced gynecologic treatments Dr. Kevin Hooker offers at Lake Havasu OB/GYN Care, he’s versed in providing both noninvasive and surgical treatment for prolapse issues and takes your particular symptoms, preferences, and life stage into consideration as he creates a treatment plan. Dr. Hooker’s expertise and kindness inspire trust in his patients. 

Pelvic organ prolapse risk factors and symptoms

You’re more likely to experience POP if you’re:

• Menopausal or postmenopausal
• Over the age of 50 
• In a family where others have suffered from POP
• A woman who has given birth; your risk increases if you gave birth vaginally
• Caucasian or Hispanic
• Carrying extra weight
• Living with chronic constipation, coughing frequently, or lifting weighty objects often
• Affected by a connective tissue disorder, like Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
• A smoker

The unpleasant symptoms of POP include constipation, leaking urine, or being unable to empty your bladder completely while urinating. You can also experience lower back pain, a feeling of pressure in your pelvis or lower abdomen, and the sense that your vagina is bulging. Pain during intercourse or spotting can point to POP as well. 

If Dr. Hooker suspects POP, he examines your pelvis and may perform bladder function tests, including a procedure called a cystoscopy, where he views the inside of your bladder and urethra. Imaging tests like an MRI or ultrasound allow him a better view of your pelvic organs and shed light on the severity of your prolapse. 

What treatments address pelvic organ prolapse?

Fortunately, Dr. Hooker can offer you several proven treatments that bring you relief from these life-limiting symptoms. 

1. A vaginal pessary is a silicone device you can easily insert and remove as needed that stabilizes your sagging organ and keeps it in its proper place.

2. Kegel exercises strengthen your pelvic floor. They’re easy to do and involve squeezing the muscles you use to control your urine flow, holding for 10 seconds, and then releasing. Dr. Hooker may recommend that you do about 50 of these a day.

3. Minimally invasive surgery can successfully treat your prolapse problems as well. There are multiple surgical solutions Dr. Hooker can perform, depending on the organs affected and the severity of your prolapse. He may use your own tissue or a synthetic mesh to repair your prolapse and support your pelvic floor. 

Dr. Hooker performs this type of surgery through your vagina or your abdomen. If done through your vagina, he doesn’t use mesh due to safety issues. These minimally invasive procedures are associated with faster healing and reduced bleeding, scarring, and pain. 

Hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus) is another procedure Dr. Hooker may discuss if your uterus has dropped. 

For certain patients who no longer have sexual intercourse, a colpocleisis procedure that closes the vaginal opening may be appropriate. 

Dr. Hooker can help you get your life back if you’re suffering from prolapse discomfort and other symptoms and partners with you to find the treatment solution that’s right for you. You’re in the best hands, regardless of your treatment. 

Call the Lake Havasu OB/GYN Care office at 928-683-1667 to schedule an appointment where you can learn more about prolapse treatment, or book one online with us.