Prolapse Surgery

Surgery for pelvic organ prolapse is a big deal. It is a big deal because you live in an age where you have many pathways to health, and don’t have to live with pelvic organ prolapse.Although surgery can be a viable, medically recommended option for many people, it is very invasive without a guaranteed outcome. Some people may find relief from their painful symptoms, yet, like many procedures, it can often require more intensive medical treatmenteven after the first surgery was performed. Surgery should be considered a last option when dealing with core, pelvic floor, or other related issues.

To be clear, our goal here at Restore Your Core is to strengthen your core and pelvic floor so you can live without surgery being a part of your story. Thousands of women use our program with amazing success as an alternative route to surgery because we work to restore function and integrity to the pelvic floor. However, we do not judge anyone’s choice to have surgery and we understand that sometimes it is the only choice! We support all choices so we would like to use this article to educate you on those choices. Please note, even if you decide on surgery, one year of pelvic floor rehab is very much recommended to prepare the body as it is a major surgery.

Table of Contents

How Do I Know if My prolapse is Severe? 

Surgery is for severe cases. So when are you considered severe? We strongly urge you to discuss it with your provider and get multiple opinions from doctors and therapists regarding your case. 

It is important to recognize that pelvic organ prolapse can involve one or more of your pelvic organs, including your uterus, bladder, and rectum. After injury to or the weakening of your pelvic floor muscles, your organs can drop into the wall of your vagina. We break down the different types of pelvic organ prolapse in other articles, but for your knowledge, we will include a list here:

• Bladder prolapse- Cystocele (The most common)
• Rectum prolapse- Rectocele
• Uterine Prolapse
• Vaginal Vault Prolapse
• Small Intestine Prolapse- Enterocele

How Do I Know What Stage My Pelvic Organ Prolapse Is?

Severity of Pelvic Organ Prolapse has to be diagnosed by your healthcare provider, but the general rule of thumb for staging is:

• Stage 1: Very minimal prolapse – organs still have a fair amount of support by the pelvic floor.
• Stage 2: Pelvic floor organs have begun to drop, but they are still contained inside the vagina.
• Stage 3: Pelvic floor organs have dropped to, or beyond the opening of the vagina.
• Stage 4: Pelvic floor organs have dropped completely through the vaginal opening.

What Happens if Prolapse is Left Untreated?

That is hard to know because some women have it for years and it can stay the same! However, for others, it can actually get worse. It can depend on a variety of factors, many might be out of your control: like tissue integrity and genes. Other elements, like movement and exercise choices are more in your control. Strengthening your pelvic floor can keep your organs from bulging further into the wall of the vagina without surgery.