Long-Term Use of Vaginal Inserts Linked to More Side Effects

Women who use medical devices called pessaries which are inserted into the vagina for long periods of time to treat pelvic organ prolapse are at increased risks of serious health complications, a new study finds.

Pessaries are removable products made of plastic or silicone and used to support the uterus, bladder, rectum, and other internal organs, which may slump out of place inside women with pelvic organ prolapse. The displaced organs may protrude into the vagina and cause chronic pain the lower back and lower abdomen, according to a Reuters news report.

Australian researchers followed 167 women who used a vaginal pessary for a few months or as long as 14 years. They found that 56 percent of the women suffered some sort of side effect, most commonly vaginal bleeding, severe discharge, pain, and constipation.

Most of the women in the study eventually stopped using the devices, with only 14 percent still using the pessary at the end of the study, according to scientists from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia.

Some women complained about the effectiveness of the pessary and said they would try exercise therapy instead to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor. About one-third of the women chose to have surgery to treat their pelvic organ prolapse.

The study findings could cause some patients and doctors to rethink their use of pessaries, researchers said. In particular, middle-aged women should only use the devices for the short-term of two to five years, they said.

Women who are very elderly may still use the devices for longer periods of time, since they are less likely to develop long-term complications, the study’s authors said.

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