When I first started building my collection of Chondros my biggest concern was the belief that chondros are a species that just continually prolapse. In fact this is not true. It does happen but with a frequency that makes it of little concern. It turns out this is not a problem I’ve had to deal with. If caught early enough, it can easily be fixed. A piece of stool caught in the rectal tissue can look like a full-blown prolapse.

When the muscles of the pelvic floor are damaged or become weak, usually because of childbirth, they are sometimes unable to support the weight of some or all of the pelvic organs. When this happens, one or more of the organs may drop below their normal positions within the abdomen, causing mild to severe symptoms ranging from mild discomfort to significant pain.

There are many ways to treat this condition, depending on a number of factors which your doctor or a specialist will have to consider. Treatments range from special exercises, either alone or in combination with certain medications, to surgery. Within this range, there are many possible therapeutic procedures, including medical therapy, laparoscopic surgery and other major surgical procedures.

Colorectal cancer is caused by genetic changes that occur in the cells lining the large intestine. These changes occur slowly over time, and usually form a polyp before a frank cancer develops. While we cannot yet change genes to prevent colon cancer, screening for colorectal cancer can detect earlier cancers or allow your doctor to remove polyps, so that they cannot become cancers.

Genital prolapse is a more general term which refers to any or all of the affected pelvic organs. Uterine prolapse refers specifically to the dropping of the uterus. Other affected organs are referred to in their own terms as well. Vaginal prolapse obviously refers to the vagina, but less obvious are the terms for dropped bladder (cystocele), dropped rectum (rectocele), and the bulging or herniation of the small bowel into the space between the vagina and rectum (enterocele).

The word prolapse simply means displacement from the normal position. When this word is used to describe the female organs, it usually means bulging, sagging or falling. It can occur quickly, but usually happens over the course of many years. There are various types of prolapse, which can occur individually or together.

Pelvic prolapse is caused by weakening of the normal supporting structures around the vagina, bladder, and uterus (pelvic muscles). These structures (ligaments, muscles, and normally strong tissue called fascia) may become weaker with age, change in hormone levels, previous vaginal deliveries, or previous pelvic surgery.

The most common symptoms of pelvic prolapse is a feeling that 'something is out of place' in the vagina, that you are 'sitting on a beach ball', and that it is difficult to urinate unless the bulge is 'pushed back inside'. The symptoms depend on which type of prolapse you have. Since prolapse usually occurs slowly over time, the symptoms can be hard to recognize. Loss of bladder control may also be present, often with a feeling that the bladder does not empty well.

There have been very significant advances in the treatment of pelvic prolapse, with more effective surgical techniques being recently developed. Current effective techniques can often be performed entirely through the vagina without and abdominal incision.

When the supporting tissues of the bladder, uterus and rectum become weakened by childbirth, aging and/or previous pelvic surgery, these organs can herniate producing a vaginal bulge. There are various degrees of prolapse from mild (Stage 1) to severe (Stage 4). Sometimes, but not always, prolpase is accompanied by urine leakage. Many people will experience pelvic pressure, difficulty urinating, frequent urinary infections and discomfort.

Many factors that appear to contribute to prolapse are beyond your control. Genetics, vaginal deliveries, obesity, pelvic tumors, chronic constipation and repeated heavy lifting are all conditions that seem to be associated with prolapse. Prior hysterectomy may also predispose you to prolapse of the vaginal vault and enterocele.

If it develops over a number of years, symptoms can be subtle and can vary depending on the type of prolapse you have. You may experience pressure while standing for long time periods or be unable to wear a tampon. Most women don't seek treatment until they actually feel a protrusion from their vagina and an interference with bowel movements.

Cure of cancer depends upon stage at presentation as well as surgical technique and response to adjuvant therapy (chemotherapy and/or radiation) as indicated. Your surgeons are trained in specialized techniques to provide the best chance of cancer cure and work closely with medical and radiation oncologists to tailor therapy to the individual patient based upon cancer staging and tumor characteristics.

No. IBS has not been linked to any type of cancer. In fact, those with IBS are more likely to be better aware of bowel health and cancer prevention. No. IBS symptoms are often present in patients with IBD, however, there is no evidence to suggest that IBS leads to IBD.

The word prolapse simply means downward displacement from the normal position. When used to describe the female organs, it usually means bulging, sagging, or falling. It can occur quickly, but typically progresses over many years.  Different organs can prolapse individually or together.

In general, very few rectal side effects occur after prostate seed implants. However, sometimes side effects do occur. Some may occur shortly after the implant while others may not occur until many months later.

Not treating a significant pelvic prolapse may be dangerous in that continued incomplete emptying of the bladder may lead to damage of the bladder muscle from 'over stretching' the bladder, thus making it more difficult to empty the bladder. Also, at times the tubes that drain the kidneys into the bladder may be 'kinked' with a large prolapse and this may cause severe damage to the kidneys which may be totally 'silent' (i.e. without symptoms).

Before any surgery for pelvic prolapse the following evaluation is very important. This evaluation should be performed by a physician who is experienced in the treatment of pelvic prolapse and knowledgeable about the effects of prolapse on the urinary tract. Pre-treatment evaluation usually includes the following: Special testing of the bladder function called Urodynamics. This testing should be performed with and without reduction (i.e. pushing in) of the pelvic prolapse.

While we have made a tremendous advancement in better understanding the anatomy and pathophysiology of the pelvic floor supporting system, and our ability to repair these problems with surgery is always improving. Yet, there are still areas we do not entirely understand and therefore, at least at present time we don't know how to fix some of the problems.