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15.1: Introduction

  • Page ID
    15661
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    Pelvic organ prolapse is common and is seen in 50% of parous women .One recent community survey by Slieker-ten et al found that 40% of the general female population aged 45 to 85 years had evidence of pelvic organ prolapse of at least stage two.

    Pelvic organ prolapse is rarely life-threatening, but may have a significant impact on a woman’s quality of life. Choice of treatment for prolapse depends on the severity of prolapse, its symptoms, and the woman’s general health and preference. Options available for treatment can be categorized as conservative, mechanical and surgical. Conservative or mechanical treatment is generally considered for women with a mild degree of prolapse, those who wish to have more children, the frail or those unwilling to undergo surgery. The interventions which could be considered in conservative management consist of the following:

    • Lifestyle interventions
    • Physiotherapy
    • Pessaries

    This page titled 15.1: Introduction 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.