After childbirth or certain surgeries, the relative positions of pelvic organs can change, resulting in a bulging or heaviness sensation in the vagina. Treatments can include pelvic floor muscle training, exercise and lifestyle modifications or the fitting of a removable intrauterine device called a pessary. An appropriately qualified pelvic floor physiotherapist can appropriately fit you with a medical-grade silicone device which can be inserted into the vagina to reposition pelvic structures, change pelvic sensations of bulging or heaviness and provide support to the urethra to minimize stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The use of a pessary can result in improvement of quality of life and improvement of sexual function (de Albuquerque Coelho et al., 2016) as well as help with symptom management when waiting for certain pelvic surgeries for POP or SUI, or when surgery is not appropriate.
de Albuquerque Coelho SC, de Castro EB, Juliato CR. (2016). Female pelvic organ prolapse using pessaries: systematic review. Int Urogynecol J. 27(12), 1797-1803.
