Bladder prolapse occurs when the muscles and tissues that support the bladder weaken. The pelvis acts as a kind of support for pelvic organs like the bladder, keeping them in place.
Factors such as childbirth, aging, obesity, or genetic problems can weaken this support structure, allowing the bladder to shift into the vagina. This can cause discomfort and difficulty emptying the bladder completely.
Symptoms include a feeling of pressure in the lower abdomen, difficulty emptying the bladder completely, involuntary leakage of urine, especially during exercise, and sometimes pain in the lower abdomen or pelvis.
Bladder prolapse is diagnosed by a doctor's physical examination. Treatment can range from exercises to strengthen the pelvic muscles, to the use of vaginal pessaries, to surgery to repair weakened tissues and restore normal bladder function.
- Urinary Incontinence and Pelvic Organ Prolapse in Women. Tunn R, Baessler K, Knüpfer S, Hampel C. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2023 Feb 3;120(5):71-80. doi: 10.3238/arztebl.m2022.0406. PMID: 36647585; PMCID: PMC10080228.
- Pelvic-floor function, dysfunction, and treatment. Quaghebeur J, Petros P, Wyndaele JJ, De Wachter S. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2021 Oct;265:143-149. doi: 10.1016/j.ejogrb.2021.08.026. Epub 2021 Aug 28. PMID: 34492609.
- Prevalence and risk factors for pelvic organ prolapse 20 years after childbirth: a national cohort study in singleton primiparae after vaginal or caesarean delivery. Gyhagen M, Bullarbo M, Nielsen TF, Milsom I. BJOG. 2013;120:152–160.
- Evaluation and Management of Pelvic Organ Prolapse. Raju R, Linder BJ. Mayo Clin Proc. 2021 Dec;96(12):3122-3129. doi: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2021.09.005. PMID: 34863399.
- Obesity and pelvic organ prolapse: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Giri A, Hartmann KE, Hellwege JN, Velez Edwards DR, Edwards TL. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2017 Jul;217(1):11-26.e3.
