Pelvic organ prolapse in older adults

This chapter will focus on the highly prevalent condition of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). POP is a leading cause of morbidity in aging female adults and has a variety of clinical presentations. Unfortunately, there is a lack of uniformity in the approaches to POP and there is much misinformation among patients and in the lay media. Recent concerns about some of the surgical treatments of POP with synthetic mesh have heightened awareness and drawn attention to this condition. This chapter will look at the epidemiology of POP and associated risk factors. The etiology of these conditions and diagnostic criteria will also be explored. Finally, the clinical evaluation will be outlined followed by a thorough analysis of both conservative therapies and surgical options in older women.