Bladder Prolapse: Cystocele

What Is It?

Cystocele occurs when the bladder wall collapses or weakens and presses against the wall of the vagina in women. Cystocele is easily diagnosed by a physical exam conducted by a physician.
A development of a cystocele is often related to multiple vaginal childbirths.

Symptoms of Cystocele

Symptoms of cystocele are often mild and may not appear or cause problems for years after the mother has given birth.

When symptoms are present they include:

• Difficult urination
• Incontinence (involuntary release of urine)
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)

Treatment

Typically, a cystocele is repaired with a simple surgical procedure conducted by a urological surgeon. The surgeon makes a small incision in the vaginal wall and repairs loose or torn tissue that normally support the bladder.

In addition, the surgeon may strengthen the vaginal wall through reconstruction to correct any issues of urinary incontinence. These repairs are performed while the patient is under general anesthesia.
Patients should expect to spend a day in the hospital after surgery.

For many women, a cystocele may re-occur after another childbirth. For this reason, women should consider delaying surgery if they anticipate birthing more children.