Pelvic Prolapse Research

You may never have heard of it, but it's a problem that will affect one out of every nine women in the U.S.—weakening of muscles and connecting tissues that support the organs in the pelvis. But what if we could treat women earlier in life to help them avoid these problems, which can not only be painful but change their quality of life?

Pelvic Medicine Research and Treatment

For decades, Scott & White has had an extensive program focused on the diagnosis and treatment of women with pelvic problems, including incontinence and prolapse (when muscles and connecting tissues in the pelvic area weaken enough that organs drop below their normal level). In addition to treating these problems, Scott & White researchers are focusing their efforts on finding out what causes them to develop as a woman ages.

Creating New Models for Pelvic Prolapse Research

Thomas Kuehl, Ph.D., and Lisa Pierce, D.Sc., who work in the Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology at Scott & White, have dedicated much of their time to the question of what causes prolapse and other ailments of the “pelvic floor” (the sling of muscles and connecting tissues supporting the abdominal organs).

“Through clinical work and research, we know that many of these problems affect women who have given birth to multiple children,” Dr. Kuehl said.

In an effort to learn more in a shorter amount of time, Dr. Kuehl and his team have come up with new models to help researchers examine not only what is causing the problems but also what can be done do to prevent them in the future.

Finding the Cause of Pelvic Prolapse

“Despite the common occurrence of pelvic organ prolapse and associated bladder and bowel dysfunction, the cause or causes of pelvic floor dysfunction remain speculative,” Dr. Pierce added.

Through their study, the research team is trying to determine what changes associated with childbirth predisposes womens to be at risk for prolapse later in life and what effects of aging and genetics act to produce prolapse in these women. The goal of this research is to find treatment measures that can prevent the development of prolapse problems as a woman ages.

So far, Dr. Kuehl, Dr. Pierce and their team have received national funding for their study. They continue to apply for additional funds with the hope that someday they can save millions of women from problems that limit freedom and affect the quality of life.

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