Effects of Pelvic Organ Prolapse on the Bladder

Abstract

To assess how pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and treatment affect bladder function. There is significant overlap between POP and bladder symptoms, including urinary incontinence and overactive bladder. POP may result in bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) secondary to urethral kinking, which may result in overactive bladder (OAB), dysfunctional voiding, and occult or de novo stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Improvements in obstructive symptoms and dysfunctional voiding after POP surgery suggest that pelvic floor reconstruction restores pelvic floor anatomic structure and function. Furthermore, correction of anatomic structure also seems to improve OAB symptoms, although a direct causative link has yet to be established. Pelvic floor syndromes should be interpreted as a whole. POP, OAB, urinary incontinence, BOO, and dysfunctional voiding are all part of pelvic floor syndromes, coexisting and interacting to manifest different symptoms before and after POP treatment.