Foreign body in the bladder 11 years after intravaginal pessary

Abstract

Vaginal pessaries used for symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse (POP) rarely develop complications when regularly monitored. However, many reports of complications of neglected pessaries have been described. Patients presenting with pessary complications report a variety of symptoms ranging from malodorous discharge or recurrent infections to more severe symptoms such as vaginal bleeding, complete urinary incontinence, or defecatory obstruction. Complete pessary encapsulation within the bladder is rare. We present the case of a 79-year-old postmenopausal woman referred to a tertiary care center for treatment of a large intravesical foreign body 11 years after pessary placement. The patient successfully underwent minimally invasive surgery to remove the foreign body and repair the bladder defect. Physicians should have a low threshold for diagnostic imaging in patients presenting with unclear history. Large intravesical foreign bodies can be removed by a vaginal approach with good outcomes.