Rectocele

Rectocele is a medical term meaning a protrusion of the vaginal walls towards the rectum. In other words, this is a hernia of the “pelvic floor,” but only through the rectum. Like other hernias, at first it is not visible, and it never makes itself felt. But when the muscles holding the vaginal vault are stretched, part of the mucous membrane, or the so-called fundus/bottom of the uterus, falls out from the vagina - two symmetrically located semicircles of connective tissue, due to which the uterus is attached to the muscle tissues of the lower body. When straining, the uterus, as if not being held at all, completely protrudes into the vagina, stretching it even more.

Today I want to talk about such a common and little-known female disease as rectegocele. Rectocele (retrocygalia), otherwise known as rectal prolapse (prolapse), is one of the most common diseases of women during their reproductive years, which can lead to a variety of serious health problems.

A rectocele is a protrusion of part of the anterior vaginal wall, especially its upper semicircle (with the vaginal dome), beyond the genital opening due to prolapse of the lower part of the vagina or pelvic floor. Less commonly, complete prolapse of the rectum is possible. It occurs predominantly in women over 40 years of age, although a congenital location cannot be ruled out. The disease is accompanied by dysfunction of urination and sexual function. The patient has urinary incontinence, curvature of the urethra, etc.

Urination is accompanied by urinary incontinence and pain in the urethra. Urine may leak both with the urge to urinate and after it. If you have the slightest suspicion of rectocelesis, you should contact a urologist immediately, because the development of this problem leads to serious diseases of the urethra.

The youngest patient at the time of the study was diagnosed with rectocelesis at the age of 25 years. For the first time in the world, an operation was performed on women with signs of protrusion of the intestinal wall back in the 60s of the 20th century in Israel. They were carried out by Israeli gynecologists Israel Neufarth and Zalman Kalman, who were the first to establish a connection between rectovaginal adhesions and uterine prolapse.