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 Medical Conditions Pelvic Disorders
Disorders of Pelvic Support and Relaxation For many women, childbirth and the passage of time lead to gradual loss of support to the pelvic organs. Pelvic support problems may be due to loss of strength around the uterus, vagina, bladder, intestines or rectum. Affected women often describe a feeling that "something is falling out". Sometimes women also require treatment of urinary leakage, which can go along with the loss of support. Many women experience mild symptoms that can be managed without surgery. However, as many as 11% of all American women have symptoms severe enough that surgery is needed to provide relief. Some terms that you may hear used for these symptoms include "cystocele" and "rectocele". There are various treatments and surgeries available for these conditions. Since each woman is different, Dr. Pizarro will recommend specific therapies based on each patient's evaluation. Treatments include surgery, pelvic rehabilitation therapy, and silicone support devices (pessaries). Female Pelvic Pain A large number of women of all ages experience pain in their lower abdomen and pelvis. Often the pain is short-lived and an easy treatable cause is found. A more complicated issue is encountered in women for whom the pain lasts for many months or years. Pain can be worse during periods, with meals, with sexual intercourse, or other activities. Women often complain that the pain "is in my ovary". It is not always that simple. There are many different tissues in the female pelvis, including muscles, nerves, and ligaments. In addition, the pain may actually occur in organs such as the rectum, intestines, or urinary bladder. In women whose pain is long lasting, Dr. Pizarro will obtain a very careful understanding of when the pain occurs, what it is like, how long it lasts, how bad it is, and what goes along with the pain. Also, he thinks it is important to seek out specific sites in the pelvis that are painful. It is very common for "gynecologic" pain to be caused by abnormal function of organs such as the bladder or intestine. He approaches the diagnosis and therapy for patients with pelvic pain in a focused, individualized manner. His goal is to find the specific cause and start the proper treatment. For women with gynecologic sources of pain, surgeries to remove the uterus, ovaries, cysts or other problem areas may be needed. However, very often pain is due to non-gynecologic sources and responds well to other therapies. When pain is due to a muscle spasm, pelvic rehabilitation and physiotherapy are very useful. If the pain is due to an abnormality of the urinary bladder, certain medications may also help. Dr. Pizarro encourages women with this condition to continue to be patient as he searches for ways to improve the pain. For chronic pain, relief can take many months to achieve and may not be complete. It is often necessary for patients to receive combined care with the help of a gastroenterologist, urologist, or pain therapy specialist. |
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