The effectiveness of supportive underwear in women with pelvic organ prolapse: a pilot study.

The objective was to assess the effectiveness of supportive underwear (Pro-Portare) in women with pelvic organ prolapse. Symptomatic women with all stages of prolapse participated in the study and were followed up for 4 weeks. The effectiveness of Pro-Portare was measured by three validated disease-specific quality-of-life questionnaires, a daily diary and a questionnaire on comfort and effectiveness. Thirteen women were included in the study. No improvement on quality of life was found with the use of Pro-Portare. None of the women regarded Pro-Portare as very effective, whereas five women regarded the device as (reasonably) effective. The women's major concern was on the size, shape and hard consistency of the inlet. Two women experienced worsening of their prolapse. Pro-Portare was not effective in the alleviation of prolapse symptoms and was no final solution in any of the women.