Being told that prolapse might need surgery brings one question to the front for many women: will it leave a scar on my tummy? It is a fair question, and often why women put off being examined.
Prolapse is common, and it is a support problem, not something to endure quietly. When the pelvic floor stretches, the bladder, uterus or rectum sit lower, and you may feel a heaviness that grows through the day, a bulge, or a need to press to empty your bladder or bowel. Surgery is one option among several, not the default.
Ask whether you need to be seen
Message us with what you are experiencing and we will tell you whether an examination is worth making, and what the appointment involves.
WhatsAppLINEOn the scar itself: most prolapse surgery, including vaginal hysterectomy where removing the uterus is advised, is done through the vagina. That means no abdominal incision and no external scar. It is the standard route for this problem, not a special technique. An abdominal or keyhole route is used only for a specific reason, such as the size of the uterus, earlier surgery, or the repair being planned, and your surgeon would explain it first. This applies to prolapse repair; operations for other problems, such as bladder leaking, are a separate conversation.
Many women do not need an operation first. Mild to moderate prolapse is often managed with correctly taught pelvic floor training or a vaginal pessary, a support fitted inside the vagina, and it is reasonable to try these first. Which suits you depends on an examination.
An assessment starts with a conversation, then an internal examination, usually asking you to bear down, to see which part has descended and how far. You are given the findings and every option, including those that avoid surgery, and nothing has to be decided in the room. If surgery is right, it is not done at the clinic: planning happens here, and the operation takes place at Praram 9 Hospital or Vimut Hospital. Recovery differs between routes and between women, so no timeline is given before an examination. Results differ between individuals; no outcome is guaranteed.
See a doctor sooner if you have bleeding after menopause, bleeding after sex, a sore or infection on tissue that is protruding, or you cannot pass urine. Those need assessment now.
If the worry about a scar, or about surgery at all, has stopped you asking, send us a few lines on WhatsApp or LINE about what you are experiencing and what you fear. The team will reply with whether an examination is worth making and what the appointment involves, and you can ask to hear the non-surgical options first. Consultations are in Thai or English at EMSPHERE, next to BTS Phrom Phong.