Vaginal vault

{{Short description|Expanded region of the vaginal canal at the internal end of the vagina}}

File:Vaginal-vault.svg

The vaginal vault is the expanded region of the vaginal canal at the internal end of the vagina.{{cite book | last1 = Drake | first1 = Richard | last2 = Vogl | first2 = A. Wayne | last3 = Mitchell | first3 = Adam | last4 = Gray | first4 = Henry | title = Gray's Anatomy for Students | chapter = Pelvis and Perineum | volume = Second Edition | publisher = Churchill Livingstone Elseiver | year = 2010 | location = Philadelphia | pages = 458 | isbn = 978-0-443-06952-9 | quote = The internal end of the canal is enlarged to form a region called the vaginal vault.}}

Prolapse

The vaginal vault may prolapse after a hysterectomy, as there is no uterus supporting the interior end of the vagina.

Colposacropexy is often used for treating vaginal vault prolapse. A Cochrane Collaboration review[needs update] found that limited data are available on optimal surgical approaches, including the use of transvaginal surgical mesh devices, in the form of a patch or sling, similar to its implementation for abdominal hernia. However, the use of a transvaginal mesh in treating vaginal prolapses is associated with side effects including pain, infection, and organ perforation. According to the FDA, serious complications are "not rare." A number of class action lawsuits have been filed and settled against several manufacturers of TVM devices.

See also

References

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