Montana is home to all kinds of adventures: hiking, swimming, rafting, running, kayaking and mountain biking, to name a few. Montana is also home to Lori Giardina who, at 65, enjoys all of the above. For those with such a drive to explore and exercise, health conditions are not just limiting; they can bring life to a standstill. Fortunately for Lori, there is a surgical solution that got her back to enjoying the great outdoors and all the activities she loves.
When Lori was first diagnosed with a form of pelvic organ prolapse, she felt a rush of emotions. “I was devastated,” she recalled. “It was alarming, and I didn’t know what to expect.” She had felt the unmistakable symptoms of the condition, a “fullness” in the pelvic area, and when she visited Logan Health Women’s Care – GYN, urogynecologist Robert Rogers, MD, immediately understood what was going on.
“The vast majority of women with pelvic organ prolapse feel pressure in the vagina, and some of them can see or feel a bulge,” Dr. Rogers explained. “It’s very uncomfortable. Some women also experience urinary incontinence and leak urine.” Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when weakened muscles and tissues of the pelvic floor cannot hold the organs in their proper place, causing them to drop from their natural position. This condition is very common, with some studies suggesting that 40-50% of women will experience it to some degree during their lifetime. Some women are more likely to experience pelvic organ prolapse, such those who have had a child or multiple children, as well as those who have a strong family history of the condition. Straining, heavy lifting, and intense coughing can also put pressure in the pelvic area and worsen pelvic organ prolapse symptoms.
Like many women who receive this diagnosis, Lori was overwhelmed, but Dr. Rogers was quick to alleviate her concerns. “He was reassuring that there were options available and that I would be able to continue with my very active lifestyle with either of them,” she said. The first option was a pessary, which is a soft ring device that is inserted to help hold the organs in place. “Most women don’t feel it,” Dr. Rogers said, “and it gives them significant relief from the pressure and discomfort. My colleagues and I treat a lot of women conservatively with pessaries.” The other option was to surgically reconnect the tissues supporting the pelvic organs.
Lori opted for the pessary and used it for two and a half years before asking about a more permanent fix. “The pessary was working, but there is maintenance that is required. Every three to six months, you have to go in and have them check it to make sure everything’s okay. It just wasn’t conducive to my lifestyle, so that’s when I visited Dr. Rogers again about surgery,” she said.
The surgery is brief and only requires an overnight stay. During recovery, Dr. Rogers advises women to avoid any straining for several months. “It actually takes four full months for complete healing to take place, when the scar tissue comes in, reforms and strengthens,” Dr. Rogers said. “I ask my patients to keep their bowel movements soft and to avoid heavy lifting over 15 pounds for several months.” These measures help protect the repaired and healing tissues, and while they require the patient to sacrifice activities involving straining for a short time, the long-term effects more than make up for it. “I kayak and raft and swim, and I couldn’t do that this summer, but that choice was well worth it,” Lori said. “For me, it was life-changing to be able to have this surgery. I felt like I regained my normal lifestyle again.”
Lori’s story is just one of the many that are heard daily by those at Logan Health Women’s Care. The expert team of OB/GYNs and GYN physicians that treat pelvic organ prolapse help ensure that every woman finds effective care through treatment options that are tailored to their lifestyle. In this way, they help women like Lori get back to living their best life.
With these medical experts in the Flathead Valley, Dr. Rogers and Lori both hope that more women will seek care for this condition. “There are a lot of women out there having symptoms, and they don’t come in because they feel that there’s no help for them. They think it’s a natural part of aging,” Dr. Rogers said. “But there’s a lot we can do in this day and age.”
Lori is more than happy to encourage women not only to consider treatment, but also to find a medical professional who will provide thoughtful, personalized care, like Dr. Rogers. “A ton of women have this issue. I never thought in a million years I would ever be dealing with this, but I would send anyone his way in a heartbeat. He’s very thorough, very comprehensive and truly, truly cares about his patients.”
Best of all, Lori has returned to the activities she loves. “It was life-changing to be able to move forward and be completely active and go back to doing everything I’ve ever done,” she said. With her recovery completed and her enthusiasm renewed, Lori once again sees a lifetime of adventures ahead of her.
To learn more about our clinics and the services offered by Logan Health Women’s Care, please visit logan.org/women.
As seen at 406Woman.com