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13.7: New Definitions

  • Page ID
    15649
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    Pelvic Organ Prolapse(POP) is the descent of one or more of anterior vaginal wall, posterior vaginal wall, and apex of the vagina (cervix / uterus) or vault (cuff) after hysterectomy.

    Anterior vaginal wall prolapse (previously termed a “cystocoele”) is descent of the anterior vagina so the urethra – vesical junction (a point 3cm proximal to the external urinary meatus) or any anterior point proximal to this, is less than 3cm above the plane of the hymen.

    Prolapse of the apical segment of the vagina (previously termed “vault prolapse”) is any descent of the vaginal cuff scar (after hysterectomy) or cervix, below a point which is 2cm less than the total vaginal length above the plane of the hymen.

    Posterior vaginal wall prolapse (previously known as a “rectocoele”) is any descent of the posterior vaginal wall so that a midline point on the posterior vaginal wall 3cm above the level of the hymen or any posterior point proximal to this is, less than 3cm above the plane of the hymen.


    This page titled 13.7: New Definitions is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 2.5 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Stephen Jeffery and Peter de Jong via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.