Hysterectomy, Menopause and POP

Aubrey Hayes from the Public Outreach Department at DrugWatch.com sent me a very interesting guest blog post from one of their writers, Elizabeth Carrollton, to help raise awareness about a serious women’s issue involved with pelvic organ prolapse (POP). This condition, which typically affects nearly fifty per cent of women after childbirth, a hysterectomy or menopause, has a rocky history when it comes to its popular means of treatment. Since the 1990’s a product called transvaginal mesh has led to a series of complications - the most serious of which includes organ puncture, infection and in extreme cases loss of life.  Their goal is to educate the public of health hazards such as these, which is why they have a team of knowledgeable writers eager to help spread awareness by writing original content about the topic. Their post reads as follows:

How to Prevent POP and Avoid Surgery

 

Given the recent controversy surrounding complications with POP procedures that use transvaginal mesh, many women are concerned and actively seeking information on prevention. POP is a common problem, known to affect nearly half of all childbearing women at some point in their lives. It is caused by weakening or stretching in the pelvic floor that becomes severe enough to allow the pelvic organs to drop. While the condition is common, it is not inevitable, and taking good care of your pelvic floor can reduce your risk of developing POP, which in turn can reduce your risk of needing surgery for POP later in life.

  

Causes and Symptoms

Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when the muscles and connective tissues of the pelvic floor become too weak to hold the pelvic organs in their proper positions, allowing them to drop lower in the pelvic cavity and put pressure on the vaginal area. This pelvic floor damage can happen slowly over a woman's lifetime. The factor that most commonly sets that process in motion is the stress to the pelvic floor associated with pregnancy and childbirth, although factors like heavy lifting, chronic coughing, frequent constipation and obesity can contribute. For some women, POP comes with no symptoms, but those who do experience problems report symptoms that include pain and pressure in the pelvic area, vaginal bleeding or spotting, urinary incontinence, difficult bowel movements, lumps in the vagina and, in severe cases, the protrusion of organs through the vaginal opening.

Reducing Your Risk

Pelvic floor exercise is important, especially during pregnancy, since strong pelvic floor muscles are much more able to resist damage. If you are employed in a position that requires heavy lifting, learn good body mechanics to avoid pelvic floor strain. Consulting a physiotherapist for advice can help with both of those important measures. If you are overweight, especially in the abdominal area, losing weight will reduce strain on your pelvic floor muscles. Treat or prevent constipation with a high-fibre diet, since the straining it causes can raise your POP risk. Eat well to enhance the health of body tissues, and exercise to ensure good blood flow to those pelvic floor muscles.

Treatments

While preventative measures can reduce your risk, they aren't fool proof, so it is important to be well-informed on treatment options too. Symptoms of mild to moderate cases of POP can often be reduced with pelvic floor exercises, weight loss and dietary changes. A pessary may be prescribed, which is a device inserted into the vagina for support. Severe symptoms may require surgery, but you should try to avoid the high-risk transvaginal mesh procedures that have been the subject of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) health alerts, since traditional POP repair can resolve most cases. Complications with transvaginal mesh are common, and include mesh erosion, protrusion through vaginal walls, and mesh shrinkage, problems that typically require surgical correction.  Many women who have dealt with these damaging side effects have decided to file vaginal mesh lawsuits. 

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