Vaginal Prolapse Glossary of Terms

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Abdomen: The belly, that part of the body that contains all of the structures between the...

Anal incontinence: Inability to hold feces in the rectum. This is due to failure of volunt...

Anatomy: The study of human or animal form, by observation or examination of the living be...

Anesthesia: Loss of feeling or awareness, as when an anesthetic is administered before sur...

Anesthetic: A substance that causes lack of feeling or awareness, dulling pain to permit s...

Anterior: The front, as opposed to the posterior. The anterior surface of the heart is tow...

Anus: The opening of the rectum to the outside of the body.

Biofeedback: A method of treatment that uses a monitor to measure patients' physiologic in...

Bladder: A hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. The kidneys filter waste f...

Bladder pain: Pain from the urinary bladder. Among the symptoms of bladder infection are f...

Blood clots: Blood that has been converted from a liquid to a solid state. Also called a t...

Blood in the urine: Blood that appears in the urine. Also known as hematuria. Gross hematu...

Bowel: The small and large intestine.

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Catheter: A thin, flexible tube.

Cervix: The cervix is the lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb). The uterus, a hollow, ...

Connective tissue: A material made up of fibers forming a framework and support structure...

Constipation: Infrequent and frequently incomplete bowel movements. Constipation is the op...

Cough: A rapid expulsion of air from the lungs, typically in order to clear the lung airwa...

Cystocele: Bulging of the bladder into the vagina.

Cystoscope: An optical instrument (a scope) that is inserted through the urethra into the...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Dysfunction: Difficult function or abnormal function.

Dyspareunia: Pain during sexual intercourse. There are many causes of dyspareunia, includi...

Enterocele: A vaginal hernia. Protrusion of the small intestine into the upper wall of the...

Epidural: Outside the dura, the outermost, toughest, and most fibrous of the three membran...

Erosion: An erosion is an eating away of a surface. ("Erodere" in Latin means to eat out.)...

Estrogen: A female steroid hormone that is produced by the ovaries and, in lesser amounts,...

Fascia: A flat band of tissue below the skin that covers underlying tissues and separates ...

Fecal: Relating to the feces, the stool. The excrement discharged from the intestines.

Fecal incontinence: Inability to hold feces in the rectum. This is due to failure of volun...

Genital: Pertaining to the external and/or internal organs of reproduction.

Gynecology: The branch of medicine that is particularly concerned with the health of the f...

Hormone: A chemical substance produced in the body that controls and regulates the activit...

Hormone therapy: Treatment of disease or symptoms with synthetic or naturally derived horm...

Hysterectomy: An operation to remove the uterus. Hysterectomies are most commonly performe...

Incision: A cut through skin or other tissue performed by a health care professional.

Incontinence: The inability to control excretions, to hold urine in the bladder, or to kee...

Indicate: In medicine, to make a treatment or procedure advisable because of a particular ...

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Kegel exercises: Exercises designed to increase muscle strength and elasticity in the fema...

Laparoscopic: 1. Pertaining to the procedure of laparoscopy.
2. Pert...

Lateral: 1. In anatomy, the side of the body or a body part that is farther from th...

Magnetic resonance imaging: A procedure that uses magnetism, radio waves, and a computer t...

Medial: 1. Pertaining to the middle; in or toward the middle; nearer the middle of ...

Medical history: 1. In clinical medicine, the patient's past and present which may ...

Menopause: The time in a woman's life when menstrual periods permanently stop; it is also...

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Muscular: Having to do with the muscles. Also, endowed with above average muscle developme...

Neck: The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constric...

Nerve: A bundle of fibers that uses electrical and chemical signals to transmit sensory an...

Obesity: The state of being well above one's normal weight.

Obstetrics: The art and science of managing pregnancy, labor, and the puerperium (the time...

Organ: A relatively independent part of the body that carries out one or more special func...

Outlet: The exit or opening. The means by which something escapes.

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Pelvic: Having to do with the pelvis, the lower part of the abdomen, located between the h...

Pelvis: The lower part of the abdomen, located between the hip bones. Structures in the fe...

Perineal: Pertaining to the perineum.

Physical therapy: A branch of rehabilitative health that uses specially designed exercises...

Posterior: The back or behind, as opposed to the anterior.

Postmenopausal: After menopause, the period of time after a woman has experienced 12 conse...

Pregnant: The state of carrying a developing fetus within the body.

Probe: (1) In surgery, a probe is a slender flexible rod with a blunt end used to e...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Rectocele: Bulging of the front wall of the rectum into the vagina. Rectocele is due to we...

Rectum: The last 6 to 8 inches of the large intestine. The rectum stores solid waste until...

Recurrence: The return of a sign, symptom, or disease after a remission. The reappearance ...

Recurrent: Appearing or occurring again. For example, a recurrent fever is a fever that ha...

Risk factor: Something that increases a person's chances of developing a disease. For exam...

Sacrum: The large heavy bone at the base of the spine, which is made up of fused sacral v...

Scan: As a noun, the data or image obtained from the examination of organs or regions of...

Sensation: In medicine and physiology, sensation refers to the registration of an incoming...

Small bowel: Another name for the small intestine.

Spine: 1) The column of bone known as the vertebral column, which surrounds and protects ...

Strain: 1. An injury to a tendon or muscle resulting from overuse or trauma. 2. A heredita...

Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional fact...

Stroke: The sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by blockage of blood...

Surgeon: A physician who treats disease, injury, or deformity via operative or manual meth...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Ultrasound: High-frequency sound waves. Ultra-sound waves can be bounced off tissues by us...

Urethra: The tube that leads from the bladder and transports and discharges urine outside ...

Urinary: Having to do with the function or anatomy of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or ur...

Urinary incontinence: The unintentional loss of urine. Inability to hold urine in the blad...

Urinary tract: The organs of the body that produce, store, and discharge urine. These orga...

Urinary urgency: An immediate unstoppable urge to urinate, due to a sudden involuntary con...

Urine: Liquid waste produced by the kidneys. Urine is a clear, transparent fluid that norm...

Uterus: A hollow, pear-shaped organ that is located in a woman's lower abdomen, between th...

Vagina: The muscular canal that extends from the cervix to the outside of the body. It is ...

Vaginal opening: The exterior opening to the vagina, the muscular canal that extends from ...

Vessel: A tube in the body that carries fluids. Examples of vessels are blood vessels and ...

Viscera: The internal organs of the body, specifically those within the chest (as the hear...

Womb: The womb (uterus) is a hollow, pear-shaped organ located in a woman's lower abdomen ...