Retained Pessary Erosion into the Bladder and the Importance of a Reliable Patient Tracking Method

Abstract

Pessary use in the elderly population is a reasonable and well-utilized option for managing symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence (SUI). However, pessary use has risks to consider in patients that may be lost to follow up. We present the case of an 89-year-old woman with dementia, uterine prolapse managed with Gellhorn pessary, and recurrent UTIs who was found to have an eroded pessary in her bladder. We review pessary use for pelvic organ prolapse and SUI and associated risks, recurrent urinary tract infection guidelines, the continued importance of physical exam, and we propose a database to ensure proper follow up for pessary patients.