prolapse of the uterus

[willow74]

Does anyone know someone / or have they had prolapse of the uterus (uterine prolapse)?

my mum has just been diagnosed with it and i wanted some info on the surgical proceedures. i have checked out the net but would like to get someones opinion.

[magicdice]

try NHS direct as it's usually a very good service for informing yourself about all aspects of a condition.

[Kinsao]

My grandmother had this, and she had a hysterectomy. But, that was only because she didn't tell anyone about it until it got really bad. I heard that if it's not bad, you can get something called a 'ring' (don't know how it works) that helps. Not sure if it's a total cure, but...

[ursula62]

Wherever possible, doctors prefer to treat it with pubic muscle exercises in younger people. They use a ring pessary but in general are reluctant to do this in anyone who still has an active sex life as it pretty much prevents sexual intercourse while it is in place.

The ring needs to be changed regularly and can be a source of infection if it is not looked after.

If you don't have much of a pelvic shelf then a ring pessary will not be suitable.

A diagram of various types of ring pessary, and where they are applied can be seen here:  http://www.mentorcorp.com/pelvic-organ-prolapse/pess_ring.htm

[Binky]

My mother has a prolapsed uterus and so does my aunt.  They are both ladies in their seventies and my mother is on wharfurin (a blood thining medication) and my aunt has a pathological fear of staying in hospital therefore hysterectomys were not ideal for them.  They were both fitted with rings that are checked every six months and have both been fine now for two years.  Obviously, if the prolapse is extreme, this will not work and if there are other problems with the uterus, such as flooding etc.  a hysterectomy may be the best answer.  Their are two types:  front incision and removal via the vagina.  The second operation is easier to recover from.