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Concept
Prolapse
Summary
In medicine, prolapse is a condition in which organs fall down or slip out of place. It is used for organs protruding through the vagina, rectum, or for the misalignment of the valves of the heart. A spinal disc herniation is also sometimes called "disc prolapse". Prolapse means "to fall out of place", from the Latin prolabi meaning "to fall out".
Relating to the uterus, prolapse condition results in an inferior extension of the organ into the vagina, caused by weakened pelvic muscles.
The main type of prolapse of heart valves in humans is mitral valve prolapse (MVP), which is a valvular heart disease characterized by the displacement of an abnormally thickened mitral valve leaflet into the left atrium during systole.
Tricuspid valve prolapse can cause tricuspid regurgitation.
Rectal prolapse
Rectal prolapse is a condition in which part of the wall or the entire wall of the rectum falls out of place. Rectal prolapse can be a medical emergency. In some cases, the rectum may protrude.
Symptoms of a rectal prolapse may be:
Leakage of stool
Bleeding, anal pain, itching, irritation
Tissue that protrudes from the rectum
A surgeon may operate through the abdomen to secure part of the large intestine or rectum to the inside of the abdominal cavity (rectopexy). Sometimes the surgeon removes the affected part of the intestine.
Surgery also can be done through the perineum (the area between the genitals and the anus) to remove the prolapsing tissue.
Surgery is most often successful for people who still have some control over their bowel movements. If the anal sphincter is damaged, surgery may correct the prolapse but not be able to completely correct fecal incontinence (lack of control of bowel movements). Fecal incontinence can both potentially improve or deteriorate after prolapse surgery.
If the lining has fallen out of the anus and is around 7 cm or less, it should eventually retract back inside naturally, though the retraction can take up to four days.
Official source
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