About Uterine Suspension
For many patients, severe uterine prolapse may require hysterectomy. For a patient
requesting preservation of her uterus, uterine suspension is the best treatment
available. Uterine prolapse occurs when the muscles that hold the uterus become
weak, resulting in the uterus dropping down into the vagina. It often occurs along
with other types of pelvic prolapse.
Dr. Safir, as a prominent Los Angeles urologist, is an expert in performing uterine suspension, which restores proper pelvic anatomy and gives long-lasting support for the uterus.
Causes of Uterine Prolapse
Most cases of uterine prolapse are caused by pregnancy and difficult childbirth. The strain involved results in weakening of the ligaments that support the uterus. Uterine prolapse may also be caused by estrogen deficiency in post-menopausal women, obesity, chronic cough (which causes stress to the abdominal area), pelvic injury, and in rare cases, a pelvic tumor. Uterine suspension is frequently performed along with treatment for other forms of pelvic prolapse, such as bladder prolapse or rectal prolapse, which may also be present.
Uterine Prolapse Symptoms
- The feeling of sitting on a small ball
- Sensation of heaviness or pulling in the pelvis
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Tissue protruding from the vagina
- Urinary urgency (needing to urinate suddenly)
- Needing to urinate very frequently
- Repeated bladder infections
- Lower back pain
- Constipation
- Vaginal bleeding, or other discharge
Treatment: Uterine Suspension
Traditionally the preferred treatment for uterine prolapse was a hysterectomy. However,
this is obviously not an option if you ever wish to have more children. For this
reason, uterine suspension has become a valuable treatment option in many cases
of uterine prolapse. In the past, uterine suspension surgery was strictly an “open”
procedure, requiring large abdominal incisions. Even the newer laparoscopic procedures
- advertised by many Los Angeles urologists as the latest and greatest in uterine
suspension surgery – require multiple, albeit it smaller, incisions on both sides
of the abdomen. Dr. Safir chooses not to perform these procedures; instead, he can
perform uterine suspension with a transvaginal approach. This means he performs
the operation entirely through the vagina, using just a couple of small incisions.
Quite often, he will repair other co-existing conditions, such as other types of
pelvic prolapse, at the same time. The procedure is performed under regional or
general anesthesia, generally takes about an hour, and is covered by most insurance
plans. Dr. Safir performs the procedure in a surgicenter directly adjacent to his
Beverly Hills or West Hills urology offices.