Barbara Brown’s plan to spend retirement pedaling cruiser bicycles on trails with her husband and hiking along Michigan’s beaches was interrupted by a medical diagnosis.
“It’s hard to enjoy a bike ride with this condition,” the 70-year-old Portage woman said.
Brown suffered from pelvic organ prolapse, which happens when the ligaments and muscles supporting pelvic organs become too loose or weak. That causes one or more of the pelvic organs, such as the uterus, rectum or bladder, to shift out of their normal position.
“Pelvic organ prolapse affects 3.5 million women in the United States,” said Douglas Dedelow, DO, FACOOG, an Obstetrician-Gynecologist specialist with Community Care Network, Inc. “This is a common and treatable condition. You do not have to suffer with prolapse. Our experienced team at Community Healthcare System has brought relief to many patients through non-surgical and surgical options.”
Like many women, Brown never had heard of pelvic organ prolapse.
“It’s not something most women know about,” said Brown, a married mother of two adult children and four granddaughters.
Brown noticed frequent urination at the beginning of 2023. After a diagnosis of sleep apnea in April, she was prescribed a CPAP machine to assist with airflow as she slept. Frequent urination also is linked to sleep apnea, so Brown hoped the CPAP would alleviate that problem. It did not.
A visit with a gynecologist revealed Brown had a prolapsed bladder and a prolapsed rectum. She was told she needed to go to Chicago for treatment, but she faced a four-month wait to see a urogynecologist there. Brown dreaded the idea of fighting Chicago traffic to receive care.
As she sat in a St. Mary Medical Center waiting room for an unrelated matter, Brown picked up an informational brochure and learned that Dr. Dedelow treats pelvic organ prolapse. When she got home, Brown made an appointment with Dr. Dedelow, whose office is a short commute from home.
“It’s a 20-minute ride down back roads,” she said. “No big, heavy road construction. I don’t have to drive through Chicago and deal with all that.”
Brown underwent pelvic organ prolapse surgery on Sept. 19 and is glad to experience relief from her symptoms.
“Dr. Dedelow is a godsend,” Brown said. “I’m really grateful I found him.”
Dedelow performs minimally invasive gynecologic surgeries at St. Mary Medical Center. The Hobart hospital is a designated Center of Excellence for Minimally Invasive Gynecology (COEMIG) and Center of Excellence for Robotic Surgery (COERS) by the Surgical Review Corp. (SRC).
These designations for minimally invasive gynecology and robotic surgery attest that the gynecologists and clinical teams at Community Healthcare System bring the highest levels of knowledge, expertise and professionalism to the practice of women’s healthcare.
Non-surgical options, such as pelvic floor therapy, and surgical options, such as minimally invasive robotic surgery, are available to correct pelvic organ prolapse. The plan of care is customized to each patient.
Pelvic floor physical therapy helps patients to correct pelvic floor muscle dysfunction that contributes to bladder and bowel symptoms as well as pelvic pain.
By strengthening the pelvic floor muscles through exercises, specially trained therapists at Community Healthcare System may help patients improve the ability to manage bladder and bowels, decrease pelvic pain, regain control and improve quality of life.
Symptoms that may signal pelvic organ prolapse include a sense of heaviness in the pelvic region; feeling as though you are sitting on a ball; pain, pressure or bulging; and difficulty urinating.
Brown acknowledged that pelvic organ prolapse usually does not require emergency attention, but she said it is uncomfortable and annoying.
“You have that heavy feeling down there,” she said. “You know something is not right.”
Childbirth, excessive weight, menopause and frequent constipation increase the likelihood of a woman developing the condition. Some lifestyle changes may help reduce that risk. The American Urogynecologic Society recommends women maintain a normal weight, drink plenty of fluids, consume fiber, exercise, don’t strain during bowel movements and don’t smoke.
Brown encouraged women who may be experiencing symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse to talk with their physician about it.
“I know there are plenty of women out there suffering from this,” she said. “Maybe they can read my story and seek help.”
For more information about diagnosis and treatment of pelvic organ prolapse, visit COMHS.org/services/surgery/robotics. For more information about Physical Therapy services, visit COMHS.org/services/therapy-services.
