Prolpase and pessary fittings
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a common condition among women, characterized by the descent or bulging of one or more pelvic organs into the vaginal canal. Symptoms often include vaginal heaviness, bulging, dragging, lower back or abdominal pain and discomfort with intercourse. While surgical intervention is an option for severe cases, vaginal support pessaries offer a non-surgical alternative for managing pelvic organ prolapse and can be fit and managed by a trained pelvic health physiotherapist.
What Are Vaginal Support Pessaries?
Vaginal support pessaries are medical devices designed to provide support to the pelvic organs by maintaining their proper position within the pelvis. They are made of medical-grade silicone and come in various shapes and sizes to accommodate different types and stages of prolapse. These pessaries are inserted into the vagina to provide support to the weakened pelvic floor muscles and hold the prolapsed organs in place.
How Do Vaginal Support Pessaries Work?
Vaginal support pessaries work by mechanically supporting the pelvic organs and reducing the symptoms associated with pelvic organ prolapse. They help lift and hold the organs in their correct position, relieving pressure and alleviating symptoms such as vaginal bulging, urinary incontinence, and discomfort during activities such as walking, lifting or exercise. The pessary creates a supportive bridge between the vaginal walls, providing stability and preventing the organs from descending further.
Benefits of Vaginal Support Pessaries:
Non-surgical option: Vaginal support pessaries offer a non-invasive alternative for managing pelvic organ prolapse, allowing women to avoid or delay surgical interventions.
Symptom relief: Pessaries can effectively alleviate symptoms such as vaginal bulging, urinary incontinence, and pressure sensation, improving overall comfort and quality of life.
Customizable fit: With different shapes and sizes available, pessaries can be individually fitted to provide optimal support and comfort for each woman's unique anatomy and stage of prolapse.
Reversible and adjustable: Vaginal support pessaries are reversible, meaning they can be removed when desired. They are also adjustable, allowing healthcare providers to modify the fit as needed during follow-up appointments.
What is involved in a pessary fitting?
In order to find the right pessary for you and your symptoms it is important to have a fitting with a trained pelvic floor physio or gynecologist. This normally involved a vagianl exam to take measurements of the vaginal width and length followed by a trail of a certain size and shape of pessary. It can often take a few attempts to find the right size and/or shape, so during your session you will likely trial a few different types, prior to finding the right fit.
Once we have found a comfortable pessary that support you well, we will then teach you how to insert and remove it and educate you on how to maintain you pessary at home.
To discuss more about a pessary fitting or how we can help with preventing or treating prolpase book an appointment with one of our trained Pelvic Floor Physios.
