CPOP Pessaries: An observation

by Sue Croft Physiotherapist

First published on SueCroftPhysiotherapist.com.au | Jul 15, 2020

What is a CPOP?

This is a Conservative Pelvic Organ Pessary (CPOP). The C-POP pessary has been designed with comfort and ease of use in mind. It’s made from soft, medical-grade silicone, and has a unique hexagonal shape that was developed from research into vaginal dimensions. This design helps reduce pressure in sensitive areas, making it a potential option for women who find traditional ring pessaries uncomfortable.⁽¹⁾

It’s a great pessary which continues to surprise me because sometimes it works when you never think it will on quite significant prolapses. As you can see it’s a different shape to others and that is one of the keys to its success. But the new observation about it relates to urinary incontinence.

CPOP pessary and urge incontinence

A patient had used a silicone ring pessary for years, but as she was getting older her finger dexterity was declining and she was finding putting the stiffer ring in and out weekly was becoming a chore (stiffer because it was a size 3 and the smaller they are the stiffer they are to manipulate). She had also recently found she had increasing urge incontinence on the way to the toilet – just small amounts but distressing for her.

Due to increasing difficulty manipulating the ring, I decided to try a CPOP pessary with her – because this particular pessary has TGA approval for leaving it in for 28 days, which means that she would only have to change it 12 times a year instead of 52.

The interesting thing is that when she returned for follow-up she not only was ecstatic about the ease of getting the softer silicone pessary in and out, but her leakage on the way to the toilet had almost completely disappeared. I have since offered a change to a number of ladies with similar small amounts of leakage and they are reporting the same effect. The different shape of the pessary at the front may be the reason.