Patterns of prolapse in women with symptoms of pelvic floor weakness: magnetic resonance imaging and laparoscopic treatment.

Magnetic resonance imaging represents a new method of imaging the pelvic viscera and pelvic floor musculature. Rapid sequences allow us to perform magnetic resonance imaging dynamically during straining or pelvic floor contraction, which can elegantly demonstrate the patterns of pelvic floor prolapse. The technique is relatively quick, noninvasive, and does not use ionizing radiation. The principle of the laparoscopic approach is to imitate the conventional abdominal or vaginal techniques. Laparoscopic sacrospinous fixation or sacral colpopexy using a graft as well as the laparoscopic repair of enteroceles and rectoceles may offer some advantages over the classic approach. As comparative prospective studies are still missing, the role of laparoscopy in the management of pelvic floor defects remains to be defined.