Now Offering Naturopathic Medicine.
Niagara’s First Dedicated Pelvic Health Centre
A pessary is a medical device made out of silicone that is designed to support the vaginal wall and pelvic organs. It can help with symptoms related to pelvic organ prolapse such as heaviness, pressure, and bulging of tissues. It can also help with urinary incontinence such as with physical activity, sneezing, or coughing for example.
Based on your symptoms and the assessment findings, your physiotherapist will trial different types and sizes in order to recommend the right pessary for you. Your physiotherapist will ask you to walk around, jog, squat, lift weights, cough while trialing the pessary to ensure your symptoms have resolved.
You do not require a doctor's referral to come to our Pessary Clinic and be fitted for a pessary.
In order to fit you for a pessary we do request that your physician complete our referral form to confirm your vaginal tissues are healthy so you can wear a pessary and to confirm there is no medical reasons why you cannot wear a pessary. You will also need to see your physician yearly to ensure the vaginal tissues remain healthy. Sometimes, your physician may prescribe vaginal estrogen prior to wearing your pessary and/or while wearing your pessary to help build up the strength of the vaginal walls.
After your appointment, we will send a letter to your physician to communicate our assessment findings and which pessary is recommended.
During our fitting session, you must be willing to self manage your pessary and complete follow up recommendations.
We will teach you how to:
The first step is to book a Pelvic Physiotherapy Assessment with our pessary fitter and physiotherapist Jennifer Alexander. During this appointment you will have an exam to determine if you are a good candidate for a pessary. It will involve a thorough medical history, vaginal examination (which includes a speculum exam, pelvic floor screen and a prolapse assessment where measurements of the prolapse will be taken). You will be provided with a form for your physician to complete, where he/she will screen for any medical contraindications and ensure that vaginal estrogen is not required prior to wearing your new pessary.
You will then be scheduled for a Physiotherapy Pessary Fitting Appointment. During this appointment, the physiotherapist will trial different shapes and sizes of pessaries to determine which provides an optimal fit. If we cannot determine which is the best fit during this appointment, an additional follow-up may be required. Once we find a pessary that provides an optimal fit and support, we will provide you with a referral form and information on where you can purchase the pessary.
After your pessary fitting appointment, you will need to come in for a Follow Up Pessary Fitting Appointment 4-6 weeks after wearing. We need to ensure your vaginal tissues are tolerating the pessary well.
For some patients, we can find the optimal pessary during the first fitting appointments, for others, it may take a few sessions to find the most appropriate size and shape.
A pessary is a safe device that you learn to insert and remove on your own. Complications and side effects can be avoided if you follow the recommendations given by your pelvic health physiotherapist and your doctor. The most common symptoms associated with pessary use include increased vaginal secretions or at times, very mild spotting. However, more serious side effects can happen, such as vaginal tissue chafing and infection. That is why it is especially important that you know how to remove the pessary, use good cleaning procedures, and know when to seek medical care. Using a vaginal moisturizer or prescribed vaginal estrogen can reduce these risks.
It is not recommended that you wear a pessary during pregnancy.
Yes you can wear your pessary while you are menstruating however you cannot use a tampon or menstrual cup at the same time. Some women purchase two pessaries and use one specifically for when when menstruating.
Yes, pessaries can be safely used if you have an IUD.
Most pessaries will have to be removed for intercourse, however, the ring pessary maybe left in for vaginal intercourse if comfortable.
Now Offering Pessary Fitting under Physiotherapy Benefits