Nonsurgical management of genital prolapse. A review and recommendations for clinical practice.

The prevalence of genital prolapse increases with age. Because more women are living longer, genital prolapse will become even more common in our daily practices. Currently this complication is treated surgically, and there is minimal information about nonsurgical treatments. The National Library of Medicine was electronically searched for current information about the nonsurgical treatment of genital prolapse. This article summarizes the anatomic basis, the standard nomenclature, common symptoms and nonsurgical treatment of prolapse. Pessaries offer an alternative, even temporarily, to surgical therapy. Some women use a pessary on a long-term basis. There is no evidence in the literature that monthly follow-up improves outcome. Once fitted satisfactorily, women who wear pessaries need to be evaluated every three to six months.