Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Many women experience pelvic organ prolapse, a condition in which the organs of the pelvic area – the bladder, uterus, rectum or bowels – drop and protrude into the vagina.
Our team of experts in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, including two female doctors, is here to help. You have access to the latest treatments for pelvic organ prolapse at Hackensack Meridian Health.
We understand your concerns and will recommend the most effective treatment for your pelvic organ prolapse.
What are the Symptoms of Pelvic Organ Prolapse?
Women with prolapse experience varying symptoms and complications. Pelvic organ prolapse can cause discomfort and distress, and even interfere with urinating, bowel movements and sexual activity. You should see a pelvic medicine specialist if you have:- A bulge or tissue protruding from your vagina
- Heaviness or pressure in your pelvis
- Sensation of something falling out of your vagina
- Feeling as if you are sitting on a small ball
- Trouble urinating
- Difficulty or pain with sexual activity
- Difficulty having a bowel movement
Diagnosing Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Your pelvic medicine specialist will conduct a comprehensive physical examination. We will take a medical history and listen to how prolapse is impacting your urinary, bowel and sexual activity. Together we will determine the right treatment for you.
You have access to the area’s most advanced testing for pelvic organ prolapse at Hackensack Meridian Health. We are the only provider in the area offering state-of-the-art video urodynamic testing. The test allows us to learn more about your urine flow and the strength of the muscles that surround the urethra, vagina and rectum.
How Video Urodynamic Testing Works
- You sit on a special table and a small catheter is passed through the urethra into the bladder.
- Digital images are taken as your bladder is filled and emptied.
- Monitors record pressure and muscle activity as you cough and push to put stress on your pelvic floor.
- The outpatient test takes less than an hour and you should not feel any pain.
Patient Resources
Non-Surgical Treatments for Pelvic Organ Prolapse
Sometimes, the preferred course of action is no action. For many women, prolapse is not a dangerous condition and will not cause any harm. If your prolapse is mild and not bothersome, you may decide to follow up with your specialist if your prolapse ever becomes uncomfortable or interferes with urination, sexual intercourse or bowel movements.
If you experience mild or moderate prolapse, your doctor may recommend exercises to strengthen the muscles of your pelvic floor. Hackensack Meridian’s specially trained nurses or physical therapists will teach you the proper exercises and monitor your progress. Pelvic floor therapy will not reverse prolapse but it can prevent it from getting worse.
Your pelvic organ prolapse may be less bothersome with the use of a pessary device. A pessary is a removable prosthetic placed in your vagina that supports your uterus and other pelvic organs. We work to find the best size and shape for you. The pessary device is placed during an office visit and requires ongoing maintenance at home.
Surgery for Pelvic Organ Prolapse
If you experience moderate to severe prolapse, your doctor may recommend surgery. Our team of specialists in urogynecology and female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery has the most extensive experience in New Jersey using robotic and minimally invasive approaches.
Robotic surgery may be performed to correct pelvic organ prolapse. You have access to New Jersey’s largest and most successful program for robotic urology surgery at Hackensack Meridian. We are the only program to offer a single-port approach for the management of prolapse, which means the surgical instruments and a camera are inserted through a single small incision in the belly button.
During the surgery (called robotic sacrocolpopexy) the surgeon:
- Uses robotic assistance with small surgical tools and a camera inserted through one small incision in the belly button (single-port) or four small incisions in the abdomen
- Places surgical mesh to lift up the pelvic organs
- May reconstruct your vaginal canal and tighten your perineum if the prolapse is caused by vaginal looseness
- May perform a hysterectomy, if necessary, at the same time through the same small incision in the abdominal wall
Your surgeon may perform pelvic organ prolapse repair using a minimally invasive approach through the vaginal canal. The surgeon:
- Makes all incisions in the vagina and uses sutures to repair damaged muscles and ligaments, restoring the normal vaginal length and anatomy
- May reconstruct your vaginal canal and tighten your perineum if the prolapse is caused by vaginal looseness
- Performs a hysterectomy, if necessary, at the same time through the vaginal canal
Obliterative surgery for pelvic organ prolapse is the least invasive approach, but is only for women no longer interested in vaginal penetration during sexual activity. The surgeon surgically closes the vagina, pushing the pelvic organs back into their desired location. While this approach has a high rate of success, it is important for women to understand that following surgery vaginal penetration will no longer be possible.
