Treating Pelvic Organ Prolapse with Stem Cell Therapy
Pelvic organ prolapse, or POP, is a silent pandemic for women worldwide. An estimated twenty-five percent of women are affected by POP. Typically caused by a traumatic childbirth, POP occurs as a result of damage to the tissues, muscles, and ligaments that support the pelvic organs. This damage causes the pelvic organs to slide down into the vaginal canal, or even completely outside of the vagina in severe cases.
Damage to the body from childbirth is often not observed until years later, when the symptoms of POP begin to show up. Any effort to repair the original damage that long after the injury is futile. No matter what treatment is done, the damaged tissues will never be as strong as they were before the trauma, so full function can never return. Not to mention the sexual dysfunction and urinary impairment that is often seen along with disfiguring tissue displacement that is sometimes painful. Costly and painful surgical repair may be the only option left at this point.
So, how can stem cell therapy help treat POP? Research is still early, but stem cells, particularly endometrial stem cells, seem to be able to help repair the damage to body tissues caused by childbirth or other trauma. Several different methods of applying the stem cells are being tested, including:
- Stem cells are blended into a hydrogel, which is then applied to damaged tissues soon after childbirth
- Stem cells are infused into the mesh that is commonly used during surgical intervention for POP, strengthening it and improving its function
- Stem cells are injected strategically into the pelvic area to encourage cell growth and repair
New and innovative ways to use stem cells for pelvic organ prolapse are being thought up all the time. If you suffer from POP and want to try a regenerative medicine approach, use our convenient search feature at www.regenerativemedicinenow.com to find a stem cell therapy practitioner near you!
