Pelvic Floor Disorders
Overview
A pelvic floor disorder is the dropping of your bladder, rectum, or uterus due to weakness of the muscles and supporting tissue. If the condition is severe, tissues may even protrude outside the body.
Symptoms of a Pelvic Floor Disorder
- Feeling of heaviness or pressure in the vagina
- Feeling that the uterus, bladder, or rectum is dropping down
- Painful sexual intercourse
Types of Pelvic Floor Disorders
Pelvic floor disorders are basically hernias, in which tissue protrudes because another tissue is weakened. Women may have more than one pelvic floor disorder at the same time, including:
Cystocele
The bladder drops down and protrudes into the front wall of the vagina. A cystourethrocele is when the upper part of the urethra also drops down.
Common Symptoms: passing urine when coughing, sneezing or laughing; passing urine when the bladder becomes too full; the bladder may not feel completely empty; or an intense urge to urinate
Enterocele
The small intestine and the lining of the abdominal cavity bulge between the uterus and the rectum or, if the uterus has been removed, between the bladder and rectum.
Common Symptoms: fullness, pressure or pain in the pelvis
Rectocele
The rectum drops down and protrudes into the back wall of the vagina.
Common Symptoms: difficult bowel movements, sense of constipation
Uterus prolapse
The uterus drops down into the vagina.
Common Symptoms: pain in the lower back or over the tailbone, difficult bowel movements
Vaginal prolapse
The upper part of the vagina drops down into the lower part, so that the vagina turns inside out. Occurs only in women who have had a hysterectomy.
Common Symptoms: pain while sitting or walking, frequent urge to urinate, difficult bowel movements
Diagnosis
Your urogynecological specialist can typically diagnose any potential Pelvic Floor Disorders you may have by performing any of the following methods:
- Flexible viewing tube to see inside the bladder (cystoscopy)
- Urine tests
- Physical exams
Treatment Options
- Estrogen vaginal suppositories and creams
- Kegel exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles
- Pelvic floor reconstructive surgery
- Pessary device inserted into the vagina to support the pelvic organs
Pelvic Floor Reconstructive Surgery
For some instances, reconstructive surgery may be necessary to treat prolapses of the uterus, rectum, bladder and vagina. These surgical procedures are typically minimally invasive, with only a few small incisions made in the vagina and pubic line. Following surgery, patients generally are required to spend several days in the hospital and may fully recover within two weeks.