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. It can become debilitating from severe pressure and chronic pain.

A new survey from Orlando Health reveals one in three women are suffering in silence with common misconceptions about pelvic prolapse: 

• Half (50%) do not know incontinence (urine leakage) is not just a normal part of aging that women have to learn to live with.
• 30% believe pelvic prolapse only happens if you have been pregnant.
• 31% believe pelvic prolapse only happens to post-menopausal women or women over 60.
• 1 in 3 (30%) do not know surgery is an option for fixing pelvic prolapse.

It’s very common the older you get. For women who are childbearing age, it’s about 1 in 3. By 80 years old, half of women probably have prolapse. The pelvic floor is like a basket of muscles. I tell patients prolapse feels like the roof of your vagina is coming down, like a tampon falling out. Pregnancy is a more common cause of a weakened pelvic floor. There’s also a genetic component.”

Nyarai Mushonga, M.D., double board-certified urogynecologist and reconstructive pelvic surgeon with Florida Medical Clinic Orlando Health

Dr. Mushonga offers non-surgical and surgical treatments to her patients, but said if prolapse prevents them from peeing or pooping normally, she insists on surgery since those issues could lead to further complications like kidney damage. Dr. Mushonga uses a minimally-invasive pelvic reconstruction procedure, where stitches and a mesh sling secure the pelvic floor in place.

“If patients do have a uterus, the first step would be to remove it. A lot of patients think the hysterectomy is what’s going to actually fix the prolapse, but that is not the case,” Dr. Mushonga said. “The reconstruction that we perform is actually what fixes the issue.”