Relief From Pelvic Prolapse

Elena had no idea she had pelvic organ prolapse but she knew she needed relief from the constant pressure. She found Dr. James Haley of Vaginal Health Center and for the first time in years, she felt like her old self.

Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when the tissues and muscles that support the uterus, bladder, or rectum — the pelvic organs — to become loose or weak. It can wreak havoc on a woman’s life if not treated. While many women silently suffer from their symptoms, Elena spoke up about her feelings of constant pressure and found treatment.

Elena and her husband, Dave, have raised a family, continue to work, and at the age of 60, stay active in the community. They have been married for over 35 years and still strive to be intimate with each other. Unfortunately, intimacy was not as easy as it used to be because Elena felt sagging and looseness down there. While Dave never complained, Elena could tell something was off and started to think about making an OB/GYN appointment.

Elena pelvic prolapse patient

Pelvic Pressure and Something ‘Down There’

It was after what was supposed to be an intimate Saturday night with her husband that Elena knew it was time to find a urogynecologist. Before getting into bed, Elena went to the bathroom. She happened to look down at herself and noticed something sticking out of her lady parts, not too far out, but enough to call her husband in the bathroom for help. She remembers her husband running to her in his ‘tighty whities’, putting on his reading glasses, and taking a close-up peek. The mood of the night was gone, and Elena knew this was the last straw, and it was time to get this fixed. With her supportive husband by her side, Elena found Dr. James Haley, a double board-certified urogynecologist, after reading an article about a patient he helped with her identical symptoms.

First Appointment with Dr. Haley

Finding Dr. Haley was a huge relief for Elena because her general doctor was unable to help provide relief from her symptoms. She knew she was in the right place and that, as an expert in pelvic floor disorders, Dr. Haley would provide relief from the constant pelvic pressure and find a solution to her pelvic prolapse symptoms.

It turned out Elena had uterine prolapse and loss of support for other areas within the vagina as well. Dr. Haley explained that she had stage 2-3 prolapse. To find relief, she needed a total hysterectomy, vaginoplasty, interior, posterior, and enterocele repair. Elena was shocked. After ignoring the pelvic pressure, the pain, and the looseness during sex, and more, she felt silly waiting this long to seek help.

Prepping for the Procedure

Dr. Haley’s assistant helped Elena with her insurance details and scheduled her surgery for less than a month away. While Elena was nervous, she was ecstatic to get back to feeling like herself again. She was also eager to show her new and improved vagina to her husband, who was a big supporter of her procedure.

She started telling some of her friends and family and realized most women her age seemed to accept the prolapse symptoms, and it was just a normal part of getting older.

“Why should we suffer from pressure down there or even unsatisfying sex? If there is a way to fix it, I am all for women speaking up and taking charge of their health problems. I am so thankful I did.” – Elena on treating pelvic prolapse

 Pelvic Prolapse Surgery and Recovery

The morning of the surgery quickly arrived. Elena’s nerves relaxed once she arrived at the hospital and spoke to Dr. Haley and his team. The surgery was a success, and while it was a very involved surgery, she was up walking around by the time she left the hospital.

The second day after the procedure was when Elena started to feel the pelvic pressure that lasted a few days, but every day after that was better than the prior. Like most surgeries, she was still tired a week later but was surprised at how much she could get around.

Follow up Appointment

Elena headed back to visit Dr. Haley two weeks later, and he was very satisfied with her progress. She was relieved to no longer feel much pressure. Even though she was still a little sore, she wasn’t in any pain. The extra pampering, meals from family, and time to relax certainly helped her healing.

“I was so thankful that the full pressure and dropping feeling was gone, and it didn’t feel like my parts were going to fall out. It was so much of an improvement that I think I overlooked any soreness.” – Elena 2 weeks after surgery

Relief After Prolapse Surgery

Elena is now completely healed and back to her busy life. Most importantly, she feels no pressure no down there! Her husband is also thrilled with the results and glad that Elena feels like herself again.

After waiting around 9-10 weeks to have sex, she admits that it is much more satisfying than before. She also reported that it continued to get better and better each time. Elena’s quality of life is back, and she’s so glad she had pelvic prolapse surgery with Dr. Haley at Vaginal Health Center.

“I have to say getting this done is one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am grateful I chose Dr. Haley, and I think getting a good surgeon makes all the difference in the outcome.” – Elena’s thoughts after surgery

Advice to Other Women with Prolapse

Elena offers this advice for other women, “Women need to be more vocal about taking care of themselves, in every way. You should never accept living with being uncomfortable, in pain, or having to alter your lifestyle because of a medical problem. Having intimacy in marriage is very important, even well into your sixties, and beyond. Make it a priority and take care of yourself.”