Also called: Also called: Cystocele, Enterocele, Prolapse, Rectocele
A woman's organs can shift position as she ages. Pregnancy, childbirth or being too heavy can stretch and weaken muscles that support your pelvic organs. A sheet of muscles and ligaments called the pelvic floor supports the uterus, small intestine, colon and bladder. If pelvic floor muscles are weak, your organs may drop. When they do, they bulge into the vagina. When that happens, you may feel like something is falling out of your vagina or you may have a sensation of fullness or pain. It can also become difficult to hold urine or have a bowel movement.
Some women with urine leakage can regain control by losing weight, cutting caffeine or doing special pelvic muscle exercises called Kegel exercises. A mechanical support device called a pessary helps some women. Surgery and medicines are other treatments.
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Exercising Your Pelvic Muscles
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - Links to PDF - http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/pdf/exercise_ez.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/spanish/pubs/exercise/index.htm -
Pelvic Floor Disorders(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/Pelvic_Floor_Disorders.cfm
- Bladder Control: Prolapse(University of California, San Francisco) - http://www.ucsfhealth.org/adult/medical_services/womens_health/bladder_control/conditions/prolapse/signs.html
- Pelvic Support Problems(American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) - http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp012.cfm
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Roughly One Quarter of U.S. Women Affected by Pelvic Floor Disorders(09/17/2008, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Office of Research on Women's Health) - http://www.nih.gov/news/health/sep2008/nichd-17.htm
- Female Incontinence a Prevalent Problem(09/16/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69354.html
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Ultrasound - Pelvis(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=pelvus
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=pelvus
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Kegel Exercises for Your Pelvic Muscles(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/women/reproductive/gynecologic/642.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/women/reproductive/gynecologic/642.printerview.html
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Vaginal Pessary(American Academy of Family Physicians) - http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/women/reproductive/gynecologic/578.printerview.html
Also available in Spanish http://familydoctor.org/online/famdoces/home/women/reproductive/gynecologic/578.printerview.html
- Cystocele(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/cystocele/DS00665/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
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Cystocele (Fallen Bladder)(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/cystocele/
- Enterocele(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/enterocele/DS00765/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
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JAMA Patient Page: Uterine Prolapse(American Medical Association) - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/293/16/2054.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/data/293/16/2054/DC1/1
- Rectal Prolapse(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec09/ch130/ch130k.html
- Rectocele(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/rectocele/DS00704/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
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Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Sacrocolpopexy for Vaginal Vault Prolapse(OR-Live) - Requires Flash Player - One hour program - 09-17-2007 - http://www.or-live.com/distributors/nlm-flash/ins_1724/rnh.cfm?id=614
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Cystocele(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Cystocele%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Uterine Prolapse(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Uterine+Prolapse%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Cystocele(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=cystocele
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Rectal Prolapse(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Rectal+Prolapse%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Rectocele(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=rectocele
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Research on Gynecological Disorders(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/womenshealth/research/disorders/gyne.cfm
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Causes of fecal and urinary incontinence after total mesorectal excision... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18802159&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Prevalence of symptomatic pelvic floor disorders in US women. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18799443&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Use of transabdominal ultrasound imaging in retraining the pelvic-floor muscles... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18772276&tool=MedlinePlus
- Pelvic Support Problems -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=pelvic+floor/physiopathology[mh]+OR+(pelvic+floor[mh]+AND+(uterine+prolapse[majr]+OR+rectal+prolapse[majr]+OR+urinary+incontinence[majr]+OR+pessaries[majr]+OR+prostheses+and+implants[majr]))+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+NOT+(letter[pt+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Find a Urogynecologist(American Urogynecologic Society) - http://www.mypelvichealth.org/FindaProvider/tabid/75/Default.aspx
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists - http://www.acog.org/
- American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons - http://www.fascrs.org/
- American Urogynecologic Society - http://www.augs.org/
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
- Urinary Incontinence - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/urinaryincontinence.html
- Uterine Diseases - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/uterinediseases.html
- Female Reproductive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/femalereproductivesystem.html
- Women - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/women.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Pelvic Support Problems is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/