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Re: ?ing my doc's statement re prolapse
From: eltonfan (anonymous@obgyn.net)
Tue, 14 Mar 2000 21:41:25 -0600 (CST)
I am going in a few weeks to have my doc check because my uterus seems
to be prolapsed. I have an IUD, and the string is sticking out a
little. What should I expect from the exam? Is it the same as a pap
smear?
At Tue, 14 Mar 2000, D. Ashley Hill, MD wrote:
>
>At Tue, 14 Mar 2000, anonymous wrote:
>>
>>Dear Docs
>>When I went to my obgen, he informed me my uterus had dropped to almost
>>a 2. He also said that this is quite common in women with children and
>>that every time you deliver, your uterus drops further down.
>
>The trauma of passing a baby through the vagina often damages the nerves
>surrounding the vagina and/or the muscles of the vagina and nearby
>organs, leading to "genital prolapse." However, while some women have
>tremendous prolapse after only one baby, others don't have any
>significant prolapse after 8 babies. Everyone is different.
>A fairly common problem after delivery is urinary incontinence, usually
>caused by the bladder "dropping" into the vagina (cystocele or
>paravaginal defect) from stretching due to childbirth. Also, some women
>report a rectocele, which is a hernia of the rectum into the bottom wall
>of the vagina. The majority of women who have this do not have any
>symptoms, but some report discomfort during intercourse, or the need to
>"splint" during bowel movements. This involves placing a finger or two
>into the vagina and pushing down in order to empty the rectum during a
>bowel movement. Again, this is uncommon, although not rare. This is
>one of the many things they don't teach in 8th grade health class about
>having babies!
>
>C/section may help prevent this, but that is unproven. The pressure
>from the baby's head may damage the nerves, so c/section may not
>actually help (nobody knows for sure). Also, while some women have
>worsening symptoms after their next delivery, others report no change,
>even after many babies.
>
>If prolapse becomes severe, some women request surgical repair. This
>might involve "tacking" the vagina, bladder, or uterus back into
>position, or vaginal hysterectomy. Other women decline surgery and opt
>for a pessary, which is a rubber "diaphragm" that the patient takes in
>and out of her vagina in order to push up the uterus and bladder during
>the day.
>
>Hope this helps answer your question.
>
>--
>David Ashley Hill, MD
>Associate Director
>Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
>Florida Hospital Family Practice Residency
>http://home.mpinet.net/dahmd
>
>My apologies, but due to time constraints I am unable to answer private e-mails.
>
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