pessary
Sign in to savethumb|right|Gold-plated stem pessary (intrauterine device) from 1920 A pessary is a prosthetic device inserted into the vagina for structural and pharmaceutical purposes. It is most commonly used to treat stress urinary incontinence to stop urinary leakage and to treat pelvic organ prolapse to maintain the location of organs in the pelvic region. It can also be used to administer medications locally in the vagina or as a method of contraception.
Article
16 sectionsContents
- History
- Medical uses
- Pelvic organ prolapse
- Stress urinary incontinence
- Other
- Types of pessaries
- Therapeutic pessaries
- Support pessary
- Space-occupying pessary
- Lever pessary
- Pharmaceutical pessaries
- Occlusive pessaries
- Stem pessary
- Side effects and complications
- See also
- References
thumb|right|Gold-plated stem pessary (intrauterine device) from 1920 A pessary is a prosthetic device inserted into the vagina for structural and pharmaceutical purposes. It is most commonly used to treat stress urinary incontinence to stop urinary leakage and to treat pelvic organ prolapse to maintain the location of organs in the pelvic region. It can also be used to administer medications locally in the vagina or as a method of contraception.
Pessaries come in different shapes and sizes, so it is important that individuals be fitted for them by health care professionals to avoid any complications. However, there are a few instances and circumstances that allow pessaries to be purchased without a prescription or without seeking help from a health care professional. Some side effects may occur if pessaries are not sized properly or regularly maintained, but with the appropriate care, pessaries are generally safe and well tolerated.