These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Evaluation and treatment of women with rectocele: focus on associated defecatory and sexual dysfunction.
    Author: Cundiff GW, Fenner D.
    Journal: Obstet Gynecol; 2004 Dec; 104(6):1403-21. PubMed ID: 15572506.
    Abstract:
    Pelvic organ prolapse is a common and growing condition for which women seek help and frequently undergo surgical management. Prolapse of the posterior vaginal wall, alone or in combination with other compartment defects, can be a challenge for the pelvic surgeon. A clear understanding of the normal anatomy, interactions of the connective tissue and muscular supports of the pelvis, and the relationship or lack of relationship between anatomy and function is required. Vaginal support defects occur with and without symptoms, and many of the symptoms attributed to pelvic organ prolapse can result from other causes. Pelvic pressure, the need to splint the perineum to defecate, impaired sexual relations, difficult defecation, and fecal incontinence are some of the symptoms that have been correlated with rectoceles. Whether the prolapse is the cause of these symptoms or is a result of straining and stretching of support tissues in women with defecation disorders is still unknown. We will present the current literature on these relationships and what evaluations are useful when caring for a woman with a rectocele and defecation disorders. Either pessaries or surgery can be used for treating rectoceles. Several surgical techniques have been described, including transvaginal, transanal, abdominal, and the use of graft materials to treat both anatomical defects and functional symptoms. The success, rationale, and complications of each approach, including anatomic cure, impact on defecation, and sexual function, are presented.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]