There are a few different types of pelvic organ prolapse. With uterine prolapse, your uterus or womb drops into your vagina. Vaginal vault prolapse occurs when the vagina loses its normal shape or sags or drops down into the vaginal canal or outside the vagina.
Symptoms of prolapse can include pelvic heaviness, backache, bulging into the vaginal canal that makes standing or walking difficult, vaginal bleeding, or incontinence.
To treat uterine or vaginal vault prolapse, your doctor may first try inserting a device to hold your organs back in place. Your doctor may also suggest Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles.
If your symptoms are severe and nonsurgical treatments aren’t helping, your doctor may recommend surgery, which can include reconstructing and reattaching the organs, or adding a sling-like mesh to lift sagging organs back into place.
Lisa Jaacks, MD, FACOG and Lee Koon, MD, FACOG are both dual board-certified in Obstetrics & Gynecology and Female Pelvic Medicine and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery (urogynecology). This means they are certified to treat women for various bladder and pelvic floor disorders including involuntary urinary leakage, dropped bladder, voiding dysfunction, urgency, and frequency of urination, as well as vaginal and rectal prolapse.