Vaginal Pessary

Most women who use pessaries do so as a temporary alternative to surgery. But some women may use pessaries for years.

A pessary trial can be offered to women with stress urinary incontinence, particularly if there is preference for nonsurgical treatment. Other reasons that your doctor might prescribe a pessary would be:

• Presence of severe medical problems that make the patient a poor surgical candidate.
• Need to delay surgery for several weeks or months.
• Recurrent pelvic organ prolapse or SUI and patient preference for avoidance of repeat surgery.
• Vaginal ulcerations caused by severe pelvic organ prolapse. Reduction of pelvic organ prolapse through use of a pessary and application of vaginal estrogen cream both promote healing of the ulcers within three to six weeks, which is useful prior to surgical repair.
• Desire for future childbearing. The benefit of surgical repair of pelvic organ prolapse may be nullified by subsequent pregnancy and childbirth.