Hi,
Cystocele/rectocele diagnosis applies only if you can see a bulging from your vagina when you squat and use a mirror to look at the labia. If this is not the case for you, then you do not have significant prolapse, and do not need surgery. Other prolapse symptoms include difficulty with bowel movements, problems emptying your bladder, low back pain/pressure, difficulty with intercourse (i.e, cannot get the penis into your vagina). If you do not have these symptoms, then you may not need any intervention. Prolapse, when present, can be repaired via abdominal or vaginal approaches. Abdominal approaches can involve open incisions (about the size of cesarean incisions), or laparoscopic/approaches, and the prolapse can be fixed using grafts (meshes) or sutures. THe abdominal graft repair is the most effective, and has the lowest risk of erosion or problems if done by a qualified surgeon. The vaginal procedures can also use sutures or vaginally placed grafts to hold up the vagina, both work reasonably well, but vaginally placed grafts tend to have a higher risk of erosion, can sometimes only fix part of the prolapse, and you can end up with a bulging from the top of the vagina, as you can see from some of our other questions here.
Dr. Hoyte
Google the site U.P.R.I.S.E prolapse. Women there have had many surgeries and all share there info openly about what worked and what didn't and why. you might find it helpful. Good luck!
Thanks for the info on UPRISE prolapse. I'll look it up.
Beverly761