Can vaginoplasty assist with bladder incontinence and sexual satisfaction for a 33-year-old woman with three children?
Vaginoplasty is an operation performed to repair structural damage to the pelvic floor. The supporting tissues that keep the pelvic organs in proper position are vulnerable to injury in childbirth and with aging. Loss of support results in the condition called prolapse. Prolapse can affect any of the pelvic organs, including the bladder, uterus, vagina, and rectum.
The symptoms of prolapse depend on the precise location of the damage in a given individual. Some women are aware of pressure or an uncomfortable bulge of tissue at the opening of the vagina. This is like having a hernia of the vaginal walls. The walls of the vagina become stretched and loose, resulting in impaired sexual function. When the supports of bladder neck are prolapsed, urinary incontinence can result.
Good bladder control and sexual satisfaction are both complex functions that depend on many factors. Not all of these factors can be addressed with surgery. However, to the degree that a woman's symptoms are caused by the anatomic disruption of prolapse, relief of symptoms can often be achieved by surgical repair.
The symptoms of prolapse depend on the precise location of the damage in a given individual. Some women are aware of pressure or an uncomfortable bulge of tissue at the opening of the vagina. This is like having a hernia of the vaginal walls. The walls of the vagina become stretched and loose, resulting in impaired sexual function. When the supports of bladder neck are prolapsed, urinary incontinence can result.
Good bladder control and sexual satisfaction are both complex functions that depend on many factors. Not all of these factors can be addressed with surgery. However, to the degree that a woman's symptoms are caused by the anatomic disruption of prolapse, relief of symptoms can often be achieved by surgical repair.
