The unspeakable secret of "falling" down - uterine prolapse

While walking, my uterus fell out

Cough and pee

Laughing and laughing, I peed myself

... ...

This is not a joke.

It is the "unspeakable secret" that many women experience.

The burden of silence

Two years ago, the two sisters of the Li family always felt something falling from below after squatting for a long time. This feeling miraculously disappeared after lying down. The two sisters did not know how to search on the Internet and were ashamed to mention it to their children. Finally, faced with ignorance of the disease and fear of medical treatment, they chose to remain silent.

A sudden turn of events

By chance, the two sisters learned that their other sister had experienced the same symptoms 10 years ago. Her symptoms were more severe and completely affected her normal life. They went to the hospital for treatment and found out that it was uterine prolapse caused by relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles, which occurs in many elderly women who have given birth.

Instantly, the two sisters breathed a sigh of relief. They looked at each other with a gleam of relief in their eyes, as if the burden that had been weighing on their hearts for a long time had finally been lifted. They were glad that they had not suffered from a more serious disease and that there was still hope for treatment.

The double whammy of uterine prolapse

However, my sister told me that although she had undergone surgery 10 years ago, the same symptoms reappeared three months after the surgery and she had lost confidence in returning to normal life.

The sister's words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the newly ignited hope of the two sisters. They were worried that even with treatment, the disease could not be completely eradicated, and recurrence was like a time bomb hanging in their future lives.

The power of unity

After inner struggle, the three sisters decided to give it one more try!

The director of obstetrics and gynecology personally received the three sisters and asked about their medical history and symptoms in detail with a gentle tone and a friendly attitude. The director not only paid attention to their physical condition, but also listened to their voices, relieved their worries and fears, and his professional explanations and encouraging words, like a beam of warm sunshine, illuminated the hearts of the three sisters.

The head nurse of the obstetrics and gynecology department specially arranged the same ward for the three sisters, encouraging them to accompany each other and face the disease together. In the ward, you can always see the busy and orderly figures of medical staff. In addition to daily nursing work, they often chat with the three sisters, understand their needs, and give them psychological comfort.

Since the three sisters are all over 70 years old, the hospital conducted a multidisciplinary joint consultation and formulated a surgical plan (laparoscopic total hysterectomy + bilateral adnexectomy + vaginal stump suspension + high sacral ligament suspension + vaginal anterior and posterior wall suspension). After the operation, the three sisters recovered well. The director personally came to the ward every day to check on their recovery, carefully asked about their feelings, and adjusted the treatment plan in time. The nurses were responsible for their daily care, from wound care to diet arrangements, and every detail was not missed.

The joy of healing

The three sisters soon welcomed the day of being discharged from the hospital after being cured. The relaxed hospital atmosphere, the meticulous and considerate nurses, and the serious and responsible doctors all made them reluctant to leave. However, they also understood that the hospital's mission is to heal and recover, and the greatest wish of every medical staff member is that the patients can return to their own lives with healthy bodies and no longer come back here because of illness.

They are unfortunate

Suffered for years due to ignorance

…

And they are also lucky

A new hope has been ignited

Popular Science in Progress

Uterine prolapse is a disease that occurs frequently in older women, but is little known to the public. Causes include age, childbirth, and one's own physiological reasons. In severe cases, it can cause bladder and rectal prolapse, leading to urinary retention and other serious problems.

Domestic epidemiological surveys on uterine prolapse show that among women aged 20 to 29, 2 out of 100 may have uterine prolapse problems to varying degrees, and the probability of occurrence is as high as 40% in those over 60 years old.

Why does uterine prolapse occur?

The factors most closely related to the occurrence of uterine prolapse are pregnancy and childbirth. No matter which method of delivery the pregnant woman chooses, vaginal delivery or cesarean section, the entire pregnancy process will inevitably cause damage to the pelvic floor tissue.

Many pregnant mothers hope to choose cesarean section to reduce the damage to the pelvic floor caused by childbirth. In fact, this is unscientific. Even cesarean section cannot completely avoid the risk of uterine prolapse.

As people become more and more dependent on electronic products, especially mobile phones, many women use their phones even when they go to the toilet, which invisibly prolongs the time they spend squatting in the toilet. Long-term squatting and constipation will accelerate the occurrence and progression of uterine prolapse. Women with no childbearing history may be more affected by genetic factors. In addition, obesity is also a risk factor for uterine prolapse. The probability of uterine prolapse in obese women is 2-3 times higher than that in non-obese women.

What are the symptoms of uterine prolapse?

The early symptoms of uterine prolapse are mainly a feeling of falling in the perineum, but the first symptoms of some patients are frequent urination and urgency, which can easily be confused with urinary tract infections and other problems. If you have symptoms such as frequent urination and urgency, after excluding urinary tract diseases, it is recommended to go to the obstetrics and gynecology department for evaluation to check and confirm whether these symptoms are caused by uterine prolapse.

Due to the particularity of the physiological structure, female pelvic organs mainly include the uterus, bladder, rectum, vagina, and urethra, which are mainly supported by the pelvic floor tissue composed of muscles, fascia, and ligaments. Once the muscles and fascia are lacerated, the supporting capacity of the pelvic floor tissue is damaged, and pelvic organ prolapse will occur. Clinically, uterine prolapse is generally divided into four stages, and professional doctors need to evaluate it in order to develop an individualized diagnosis and treatment plan for the patient.

How to treat uterine prolapse?

The strategies and methods for treating different degrees of uterine prolapse are different:

For patients with mild prolapse, physical therapy can slow down the progression of the disease. If the patient has stage II uterine prolapse and has symptoms, but the uterus has not yet fallen out of the vagina, physical rehabilitation or a pessary can be the first choice. If conservative treatment is not effective, surgical treatment can also be chosen. For patients with stage III-IV uterine prolapse, the efficacy of physical therapy and rehabilitation treatment is relatively poor, and the chance of cure is also low. It is usually recommended to use a pessary or undergo surgical treatment.

With the continuous development of pelvic floor repair technology and surgical procedures, the cure rate of surgery has been greatly improved to about 95%, and the recurrence rate has also been greatly reduced.

Pelvic floor dysfunction screening should be taken seriously!

Pregnancy and childbirth are the most important risk factors for uterine prolapse. The chance of uterine prolapse increases by 10% with each birth. Therefore, postpartum women should undergo routine pelvic floor dysfunction screening. At the same time, they can correctly train their pelvic floor muscles through daily pelvic floor exercises, arch bridge exercises, postpartum yoga, Kegel exercises, or electrophysiological treatment based on their own situation.

Source: Banan District Second People's Hospital

Author: Chen Qin

Audit experts: Yang Yanfan, Zhang Ling

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