Some may remember the recent headlines detailing the tragedy that ensued with the vaginal mesh-surgery debacle. On June 21, 2013, End Health, a unit of Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc., offered $54.5 million towards a settlement to resolve a flood of injury claims arising from vaginal prolapse treatments. Mesh surgery had been lauded as a permanent fix for women suffering from female prolapse. But the potential complications were often severe and debilitating.
Although it seemed like a good idea at the time, device manufacturers did not take into account that inserting mesh through the vaginal canal as a way to avoid abdominal surgery also seeded the surgical site with dangerous bacteria. This oversight led to severe chronic disease for tens of thousands of unsuspecting women.
Obviously, that therapeutic approach did not yield the expected results. Still, these
developments don’t change the fact that prolapse of the female organs is no picnic for women who suffer discomfort and incontinence on a daily basis.
Female organ prolapse is a quality-of-life issue. It’s uncomfortable but generally not disabling or life threatening. What causes this condition? Prolapse occurs when female tissues undergo a transformation after menopause as the body’s naturally produced female hormones begin to decline.
The vaginal walls then lose elasticity and strength over time. When that happens, a rectocele (when the rectum bulges into the vaginal canal) or a cystocele (when the bladder bulges into the vaginal canal) can form. Some women have both conditions. Either condition can make defecation or urination more difficult. Uncontrolled leakage from the bladder may also occur.
An obvious remedy is to restore a woman’s hormones to an optimal level. While excessive intake of female hormones after menopause does carry a degree of risk, a competent physician can help a woman through the change of life and post-menopause without causing undue risk. Treatments now include plant-based hormones, referred to as bio-identical hormones, because these are not derived from animal sources such as Premarin (a drug so named as it was distilled from pregnant-mare urine).
Treating a prolapse in a more natural fashion without surgery improves a woman’s comfort, dignity and vitality. Don’t put it off. See a doctor who specializes in bio-identical hormones today for these new options, and enjoy those best years yet to come!