Uterine Prolapse Specialist​

Pelvic organ prolapse can cause considerable pain and discomfort. Maiden Lane Medical has a team of leading providers of state-of-the-art treatments for vaginal and pelvic organ prolapse, helping New York, NY, area women resolve symptoms and lead healthy, normal lives.

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“I have visit many doctors for my problem, many just gave up on, but my Doctor is just amazing. She is careful and knows what she does, feel very comfortable. The clinic is really nice, and the people who work there are very professional and kind.”
PAULINA T.

What are vaginal and pelvic organ prolapse?

Approximately fifty percent of women who have experienced childbirth have varying degrees of pelvic organ prolapse that affect the vagina. Some of these conditions can include:

  • Vaginal Prolapse. Where the top of the vagina loses its support and drops, this condition occurs most often with women who have had a hysterectomy. Vaginal Prolapse can cause include difficulty urinating, bowel function, painful intercourse, vaginal pain loss of bladder control and a feeling of heaviness in the vaginal area.
  • Small Bowel Prolapse (Enterocele). A condition when the small bowel presses against and moves the upper wall of the vagina causing a bulge or a hernia to form.
  • Anterior Vaginal Prolapse (Cystocele). A bulge or cystocele forms on the front wall of the vagina and causes a loss of support to the bladder that rests on that area of the vagina. Symptoms can include incontinence, a feeling of pelvic heaviness, or back pain.
  • Posterior Vaginal Prolapse (Rectocele). A condition when the rectum bulges into or out of the vagina. May cause difficulty with bowel movements.

Proper diagnosis is essential in treating pelvic support conditions. Being open about symptoms with your physician is important in finding the exact cause. Depending upon your symptoms and the type or vaginal prolapse you are diagnosed as having, treatments can include special exercises, lifestyle changes, the use of pessaries, changes in diet and lifestyle, reconstructive surgery and obliterative procedures to narrow and shorten the vagina.

What are the two primary methods used to treat prolapse?

In treating or repairing vaginal prolapse, suspensions are used to restore the support of the top of the vagina (vaginal vault). Procedures used include:

  • Laparoscopic Sacral Colpopexy (ASC) – Performed through a tiny incision in the abdomen either laparoscopically or robotically, ASC involves the use of graft material to reinforce the walls of the vagina by forming straps that, when attached to the ligaments overlying the sacrum, support and suspend the vagina over the pelvic muscles and backbone.
  • Uterosacral or Sacrospinous Ligament Fixation – This procedure involves suspending the vagina to a patient’s own uterosacral ligament or sacrospinous ligaments. Graft material can also be added to improve the durability of the repair.

What is the treatment for small bowel prolapse (Enterocele)?

The surgical procedure to correct this condition is called a sacral colpopexy. The surgical procedure uses polypropylene or biologic grafts so as to close over the apex of the vagina and correct the bulge or herniation of the small bowel into the vagina. The procedure approaches the vagina intra-abdominally. It is a complicated procedure in which a Y shaped mesh is positioned over the apex of the vagina and re-suspended to the sacrum.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) occurs when the tissue and muscles of the pelvic floor no longer support the pelvic organs resulting in the drop (prolapse) of the pelvic organs from their normal position. Learn who is at risk, how it is treated, and find steps to reduce your risk of getting a pelvic floor problem.
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What is the treatment for anterior vaginal prolapse (Cystocele)?

A cystocele repair elevates the anterior vaginal wall back into the body to support the bladder. This can be done either vaginally or through an abdominal approach at the time of a sacral colpopexy.

In an anterior colporrhaphy, an incision is made in the front wall of the vagina. The vaginal skin is separated from the bladder wall behind it.  The weak or frayed edges of the deep vaginal wall are found and the strong tissue next to edges are sutured to each other lifting the bladder and recreating the strong ”wall” underneath it.

Since this part of the pelvic floor is subjected to significant pressure with each cough or when picking up heavy items, up to one third of women will develop recurrent anterior prolapse after an anterior colporrhaphy. To reduce this recurrence, a surgeon may use graft material over the repair to reinforce it.

Cystocele

A cystocele is a condition in which weakened pelvic muscles cause the bladder to drop from its normal position into or out of the vagina. A cystocele happens when the muscles or tissues of the pelvic area are weak or damaged and can no longer support the pelvic organs. Learn about treatment and prevention.

What is the treatment for posterior vaginal prolapse (Rectocele)?

If muscles at the vaginal opening are stretched or separated at childbirth, this condition can be corrected by a perineorrhaphy. It may also be corrected abdominally during a sacral colpopexy.

To correct the vaginal bulge, a surgical procedure called an anterior colporrhaphy is performed to raise the back wall of the vagina back into the body to support the bladder.

A posterior colporrhaphy is a procedure used to repair the rectal bulge that protrudes through the back wall of the vagina. In this procedure, an incision is made in the back wall of the vagina. The vaginal skin is separated from the rectal wall underneath.

Once the weak or frayed edges of the deep vaginal wall tissue are identified, the strong tissue next to edges is sutured to each other to recreate the wall between the rectum and the vagina. Occasionally, a surgeon will use graft material to provide additional strength to the repair.

Rectocele

Rectocele is a condition that causes your rectum to bulge out through your vagina. Rectocele can happen when the thin layer of muscles separating your rectum from your vagina becomes weak. Stool may stay in your rectum because the rectocele makes it harder to push stool out. Learn about treatment and prevention.

Prolapses Are a Serious Issue and Ignoring Them Isn’t Going to Work

The biggest barrier to pelvic prolapse treatment is the misconception that they’re an inevitable part of aging. Learn how pessaries are plugging the leak.

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Board Certified Gynecologist

Medically Reviewed By

Board Certified Urologist

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Our doctors who provide this service

Thumbnail Photo of Dr. Rachel Barr

Rachel Barr, MD

Board Certified Gynecologist

Emily Blanton, MD

Board Certified Gynecologist

Focused Practice Designation in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery
Profile Photo of Dr. Janette Davison

Janette Davison, MD

Board Certified Gynecologist

Focused Practice Designation in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery

Ilene Fischer, MD

Board Certified Gynecologist

Kenneth A. Levey, MD MPH FACOG FACS

Board Certified Gynecologist & CEO and Managing Partner of Maiden Lane Medical

Focused Practice Designation in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery

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