INTRODUCTIONProlapse though not life threatening condition, severely affect quality of life in women causing physical, social, psychological, occupational, domestic limitations. 1 The incidence of urogenital prolapse increases with advancing age, menopause and parity.2 It is estimated that 50% of parous women lose pelvic floor support and, as a result, develop prolapse, but only 20% of these women are symptomatic. Anorectal dysfunction is probably less understood pelvic symptom in women with prolapse.These patients may experience pain with defecation, the need to splint or strain to have a bowel movement or anal incontinence. Meschia found a 2-fold increased risk of anal incontinence in patients with a rectocele greater than grade 2. Surgery is the definitive treatment.It is estimated that the lifetime risk of undergoing at least one surgical procedure for prolapse is 11% and the reoperation rate for recurrent prolapse is 30-40%. 3 The surgical indication should be based on the individual's symptoms rather than the degree of vaginal wall prolapse.
ABSTRACTBackground: This study's objectives were to describe symptoms related to bowel symptoms in women with prolapse and to compare these symptoms as per the grading of posterior vaginal prolapse. Methods: Descriptive study, 63 women answered questionnaire for assessment of bowel function and were subjected to physical examination according to the International Continence Society's system for grading uterovaginal prolapse. Results: The distribution of pelvic organ support by overall POPQ stage was 6.4%stage 1,21%stage 2, 50% stage 3, and 23% stage 4. Women were asked to rate the extent to which they were bothered by their bowel function on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being not at all and 10 being extremely. Thirty-six women (58%) reported 1 to 4, 18 (29%) reported 5 to 7, and 8 (13%) reported greater than 8. According to the furthest extent of posterior vaginal prolapse at point Bp, 22 (15.5%) were in stage 0, 46 (32.4%) were in stage I, 50 (35.2%) were in stage II, 23 (16.2%) were in stage III, and 1 (0.7%) was in stage IV. Ninety-two percent of women reported having bowel movements at least every day. When asked whether straining was required for them to have a bowel movement, 67% reported never or rarely,3% reported sometimes,1.6%) reported always. When asked whether they ever needed to help stool come out by pushing with a finger in the vagina or rectum, 77.0% reported never or rarely, 15.1% reported sometimes, (5.6%) reported usually, and (1.6%) reported always. No women had fecal incontinence, there were no clinically significant associations between any of the questions related to bowel function and severity of posterior vaginal prolapse. Conclusions: Women with uterovaginal prolapse frequently have symptoms related to bowel dysfunction but this is not associated with the severity of posterior vaginal prolapse.