Pelvic Organ Prolapse News and Research

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Prolapse affects one in two women over the age of 50 years and has an overall prevalence of 30-50%. Women may expect to have an 11-12% chance of having to have surgical repair for prolapse, and one-third will need a repeat surgery

Survey finds one in three women suffer silently with pelvic prolapse

Up to half of all women will experience some degree of pelvic organ prolapse in their lifetime. The condition can cause incontinence, constipation and the descent of the bladder or uterus into the vagina.

13 May 2026

Visceral fat strongly linked to urinary incontinence in women

The accumulation of fat in the abdominal region, especially visceral fat (fat that accumulates between organs), significantly increases the risk of stress urinary incontinence in women.

17 Apr 2026

Development of a polygenic risk score for pelvic organ prolapse in Chinese women

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP), a condition whose development is shaped by both genetic and clinical risk factors, significantly impairs women's quality of life, yet genetic insights into non-European populations and comprehensive risk models that integrate genetic and clinical data remain insufficiently explored.

24 Nov 2025

Mediterranean-style diets improve pelvic floor function and sexual health, review finds

This systematic review and meta-analysis of 31 studies reveals that healthy, anti-inflammatory dietary patterns, particularly the Mediterranean and DASH diets, are linked to improved sexual function and reduced incontinence symptoms in pelvic floor dysfunction. However, prospective evidence for incontinence improvement remains limited, suggesting that benefits may be mediated by metabolic and inflammatory pathways, especially in individuals with obesity or metabolic syndrome.

19 Oct 2025

Regenerative strategy offers hope for women with pelvic organ prolapse

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a disorder that primarily affects older women who have experienced multiple vaginal childbirths.

27 Aug 2025

Global experts release first guide to protect patients undergoing innovative surgery

Leading global doctors, researchers, and lawyers have joined forces with patient representatives and created the first-ever information guide to better support and protect patients across the world who are considering pioneering, but also potentially risky, surgery.

8 Jul 2025

Body composition associated with pelvic floor disorder symptoms in middle-aged women

According to a recent study conducted at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, body composition is associated with symptoms of pelvic floor disorders in middle-aged women.

19 Jun 2025

Rare ovarian tumor found during postmenopausal surgery for pelvic organ prolapse

A new case report was published in Volume 12 of Oncoscience on May 22, 2025, titled "A rare case: Pure Sertoli cell tumor uncovered in atrophic ovary during postmenopausal vault prolapse evaluation."

13 Jun 2025

Researchers uncover 195 genetic risk factors driving women’s reproductive diseases

Scientists identified 195 genetic risk loci across 42 female reproductive health conditions, revealing shared genetic pathways and developing a polygenic risk score for intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP). These findings pave the way for personalized reproductive healthcare and targeted treatments based on genetic risk.

12 Mar 2025

Exploring sexual health challenges in women with pelvic floor disorders

Many women experience problems due to a weakened or damaged pelvic floor. These ailments are most common in pregnant women, women who have recently given birth, and menopausal women. However, pelvic floor disorders can affect all women.

10 Jan 2025

Senolytic agents show promise in mouse model of pelvic organ prolapse

A new research paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science), Volume 16, Issue 19 on September 26, 2024, entitled, "Use of the senolytics dasatinib and quercetin for prevention of pelvic organ prolapse in a mouse animal model."

22 Oct 2024

Study shows rhesus macaques as an ideal animal model for studying pelvic organ prolapse

This study is led by Prof. Lan Zhu (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital), Prof. Tao Tan (State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming University of Science and Technology), and Prof. Weizhi Ji (State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming University of Science and Technology).

10 Nov 2023

UC San Diego team reports new insights on pelvic floor muscle dysfunction

University of California San Diego researchers are leading a team reporting new insights in Science Translational Medicine on pelvic floor muscle (PFM) dysfunction, which is one of the key risk factors for pelvic floor disorders which impact close to a quarter of women in the U.S.

2 Aug 2023

Vaginal birth after previous cesarean section linked with higher risk of pelvic floor surgery

Vaginal birth after a previous cesarean section is associated with an increased risk of pelvic floor surgery compared with planning another cesarean, according to research publishing November 22nd in the open access journal PLOS Medicine.

23 Nov 2022

Researchers assess outcomes of a self-care program for women with pelvic organ prolapse

University of Stirling researchers will explore the clinical and cost-effectiveness of an innovative self-management program designed to help improve the lives of women with pelvic organ prolapse.

31 Jan 2022

Women expressing feminine and masculine characteristics more likely to choose uterine-preserving surgery

Biologically born women who express feminine and masculine characteristics are more likely to choose uterine-preserving surgery to correct pelvic organ drooping, according to the results of a new study.

19 Oct 2021

Patient decision aids for urologic conditions fall short of quality and readability standards

Online patient decision aids for common urologic conditions fall short of recommendations for readability and minimum standards for quality, reports a study in Urology Practice, an Official Journal of the American Urological Association.

19 Oct 2021

Tulane spin-out company awarded grant to develop new graft for treating pelvic organ prolapse

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development has awarded a $256,000 grant to BioAesthetics Corp., a Tulane University spin-out company, to develop a new graft for treating pelvic organ prolapse (POP).

22 Jul 2021

Stress incontinence surgery does not increased risk of pelvic cancers

Women undergoing surgery to treat stress urinary incontinence (SUI) are not at increased risk of developing pelvic cancers, according to a large-scale, population-based study in The Journal of Urology, Official Journal of the American Urological Association.

8 Apr 2021

Researchers evaluate long-term effectiveness of pessaries for treating pelvic organ prolapse

The aging population combined with increasing obesity rates has resulted in more women experiencing pelvic organ prolapse. Common treatment options include pelvic reconstructive surgery or the use of pessaries to prop up descending organs.

24 Feb 2021