Things to consider before choosing your pessary
Befor choosing your pessary, these are a few things to consider:
- Age of patient
- Activity of patient
- Is the patient sexually active (many physicians forget to ask this and the patient ends up either being too afraid to remove the pessary or can't hence her sexual activity suffers due to this.
- Types of prolapse(s)
- Acceptance to a pessary
- Is the patient able to remove and re-insert the pessary
- Competency for follow up (be aware that patients with dementia may not have the capacity to return to clinic)
- Does the patient have a shallow pubic notch? (the ring will not stay in place if the pubic notch is shallow- go for the Shaatz instead)
- When choosing a lever pessary consider the size of the introitus
- Does the patient have a stable pelvic floor, ie strong enough to hold the type of pessary
- Is the patient pregnant
Cleaning your pessary
Pessaries are made out or different materials. The majority are made from medical grade silicone, which due to it being inert, bacteria doesn't grow on silicone making this the safest material to use in pessaries.
Some pessaries are made from PVC plastic, latex or polyisoprene
Caring for your pessary in the right way will help sustain it's lifetime in a good condition so you can re-use it.
As the pessary is placed into the vagina, it doesn't need to be a sterile procedure.
Clinics
Pessaries can be autoclaved (this is done in clinics and hospitals when the Drs use fitting sets for patients to try different sizes)
Pessaries can be boiled for up to 20 mins in clinical environments
Using One Life pre-cleaner then prevent will ensure your pessaries are cleaned to the highest standards removing all biofilm/
At home:
Some pessaries are made from PVC plastic, latex or polyisoprene
Caring for your pessary in the right way will help sustain it's lifetime in a good condition so you can re-use it.
As the pessary is placed into the vagina, it doesn't need to be a sterile procedure.
Clinics
Pessaries can be autoclaved (this is done in clinics and hospitals when the Drs use fitting sets for patients to try different sizes)
Pessaries can be boiled for up to 20 mins in clinical environments
Using One Life pre-cleaner then prevent will ensure your pessaries are cleaned to the highest standards removing all biofilm/
At home:
- Pessaries can be boiled for no more than 5 minutes.
- Microwaved for no more that 1 minute, but is not recommended if the pessary contains metal such as the Hodge, some rings etc. Please also be aware that you pessary will heat from the inside out so it is important not to insert the pessary immediately, leave for about half an hour before inserting.
- Washed with an antibacterial wash such as One Life Enzymed which is gentle and will not interfere with the pH of the body. One Life products also prolong the life of pessaries as it forms a protection barrier.
- Washed with warm soapy water, it is very important that ALL the soap residue has been washed off.
Disposing of your pessary
Pessaries should be disposed of with the normal household rubbish.
Never dispose of your pessary down the toilet as it is likely to cause blockages
Never dispose of your pessary down the toilet as it is likely to cause blockages
learn about biofilms
Biofilm on your pessary can cause bacterial growth leading to infection. Always keep pessaries clean.
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