ABSTRACT
Pelvic organ prolapse accounts for 10-20% of all major gynecologic surgeries according
to one epidemiologic study (1). Approximately 11% of American women require surgery
for pelvic organ prolapse and/or urinary incontinence, and of these, about 25-30% require a second procedure for recurrence (2). A rectocele is a form of pelvic organ prolapse in
which there is herniation or bulging of the posterior vaginal wall, with the anterior wall of
the rectum in direct apposition to the vaginal epithelium. Although the true prevalence of rec-
toceles is unknown, Olsen et al. noted that 76% of women with documented pelvic organ pro-
lapse had a rectocele (2).
