Impact of pessary use on prolapse symptoms, quality of life, and body image

Objective: We sought to evaluate whether use of a vaginal pessary would change body image, bother symptoms, and quality of life in women with pelvic organ prolapse.

Study design: Women presenting for pessary insertion completed the short forms of Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20, Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire, and Body Image Scale. After successful pessary insertion and use for at least 3 months, subjects completed the surveys again. Scores were compared with a paired t test.

Results: A total of 75 subjects were enrolled and follow-up responses were available for 54 subjects for analysis. Body Image Scale scores showed a significant decrease (6.1-3.4; P<.001), indicating an improvement in these women's perception of themselves, as did Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 scores (81.34-45.83; P<.001) and Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire scores (50.32-17.98; P=.003).

Conclusion: The use of a pessary for 3 months reduces bother symptoms and improves both quality of life and perception of body image in women.