What is uterine prolapse?
If you have uterine prolapse, it means that your uterus has tilted or slipped. Sometimes it slips so far down that it reaches into the vagina. This happens when the ligaments that hold the uterus to the wall of the pelvis become too weak to hold the uterus in its place.Uterine prolapse can cause feelings of pressure and discomfort. Urine may leak.
How is uterine prolapse treated?
Treatment choices depend on how weak the ligaments have become, your age, health, and whether you want to become pregnant.Options that do not involve an operation include:
- Exercises
(called Kegel exercises) can help to strengthen the muscles of the
pelvis. How to do Kegel exercises: Tighten your pelvic muscles as
if you are trying to hold back urine. Hold the muscles tight for a
few seconds and then release them. Repeat this exercise up to 10
times. Repeat the Kegel exercises up to four time each
day.
- Taking
estrogen
to limit further weakening of the muscles and tissues that support
the uterus.
- Inserting a
pessary, which is a rubber, diaphragm-like
device, around the cervix
to help prop up the uterus. The pessary does have drawbacks. It
may dislodge or cause irritation, it may interfere with
intercourse, and it must be removed regularly for
cleaning.
- Watchful waiting.
Surgical treatments include:
- Tightening the
weakened muscles without taking out the uterus. This is usually
done through the vagina, but it also can be done through the
abdomen. Although this is a type of surgery, it is not as
extensive as a hysterectomy.
- Hysterectomy. Doctors usually recommend this operation if symptoms are bothersome or if the uterus has dropped so far that it is coming through the vagina.
Return to Common Uterine Conditions & Treatment Options
Reprinted from the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR)
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