Pelvic organ prolapse is a common problem that affects many women. It occurs when muscles and connective tissue in your pelvic floor weaken and cause your uterus, bladder or urethra to drop down through your vagina. Pelvic plastic surgery can help restore the organs to their original anatomic positions and improve pelvic comfort and sexual function.골반필러
Our pelvic floor muscles are designed to support the muscles and tissue of the uterus, urethra and bladder, but these muscles often become too weak over time. This can be due to pregnancy, which causes the muscles to stretch and strain as your body grows, or childbirth, which also puts a lot of stress on the muscles. Other factors that can weaken the pelvic floor include chronic constipation, coughing and untreated asthma, heavy lifting or prolonged straining, and some types of surgeries. Your genes also play a role.
Several surgical techniques are available to treat pelvic organ prolapse. Some are minimally invasive and some are open, but most are a combination of both.
A sacrocolpopexy is a procedure that uses mesh to support the upper four inches of your vagina and help prevent future prolapse. This is the most traditional of all pelvic support procedures and has been around for decades. It is performed through a large horizontal incision in the lower abdomen. Our surgeons now perform this surgery using a less invasive approach that allows us to use smaller, more flexible mesh. This allows the surgeon to maintain a broad attachment of the anterior and posterior vaginal walls, which helps reduce the risk of mesh erosion into viscera. We also imbricate the apex of the vagina, which further decreases the risk of a prolapsed bladder or continuing erosion of the mesh.
Another option is to have a colporrhaphy, which repairs weakened underlying tissues that caused a prolapsed bladder or rectocele. We can perform this under a regional (spine) or general anesthetic, and patients usually make a quick recovery.
We also offer hip augmentation with fat grafting for those who want to add fullness to the hips, especially after significant weight loss or after other surgeries. This is a good option for Asian women who don’t have much natural fullness in the hips.
Finally, we offer the Burch procedure to address stress incontinence, which is leakage of urine when you exercise, sneeze or strain. We use a “hammock” of natural or synthetic materials to support the neck of the bladder, which helps prevent leakage. This surgery can be performed under a local or general anesthetic and you typically return to your normal activities within three weeks. However, we recommend that you refrain from vigorous activity and sexual intercourse for a three-month period. Our surgeons are expert in both the open and laparoscopic approaches to pelvic plastic surgery, so you have the flexibility to choose the one that’s best for you. Christopher Chung, M.D., is a urogynecologist who treats pelvic organ prolapse at City of Hope’s community practice sites in Duarte and Arcadia. 키성형