Colpocleisis is a procedure involving closure of the

vagina In mammals, the vagina is the elastic, muscular part of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vestibule to the cervix. The outer vaginal opening is normally partly covered by a thin layer of mucosal tissue called the hymen ...

. It is used to treat

vaginal prolapse Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is characterized by descent of pelvic organs from their normal positions. In women, the condition usually occurs when the pelvic floor collapses after gynecological cancer treatment, childbirth or heavy lifting. In me ...

. In older women who are no longer sexually active a simple procedure for reducing prolapse is a partial colpocleisis. The procedure was described by 'Le Fort' and involves the removal of strip of anterior and posterior vaginal wall, with closure of the margins of the anterior and posterior wall to each other. This procedure may be performed whether or not the

uterus The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The uter ...

and

cervix The cervix or cervix uteri (Latin, 'neck of the uterus') is the lower part of the uterus (womb) in the human female reproductive system. The cervix is usually 2 to 3 cm long (~1 inch) and roughly cylindrical in shape, which changes during ...

are present. When it is completed, a small vaginal canal exists on either side of the septum, produced by the suturing of the lateral margins of the excision.

Notes

References

Gynecological surgery Female genital modification {{surgery-stub

See also

Notes

References