You are discussing surgical options with a patient with symptomatic pelvic relaxation. Partial colpocleisis (Le Fort procedure) may be more appropriate than vaginal hysterectomy and anterior and posterior (A&P) repair for patients who

Partial colpocleisis by the Le Fort procedure is reasonable for elderly patients who are not good candidates for vaginal hysterectomy and A&P (anterior and posterior) repair as treatment for vaginal and uterine prolapse. The technique involves partial denudation of opposing surfaces of the vaginal mucosa followed by surgical apposition, thereby resulting in partial obliteration of the vagina. Patients who are candidates for this procedure must have no evidence of cervical dysplasia or endometrial hyperplasia, have an atrophic endometrium, and no longer desire sexual function since the vagina is essentially obliterated and there is no longer access to the cervix or uterus via the vagina. Urinary incontinence can be a side effect of this procedure, so care must be exercised in the denudation of vaginal mucosa near the bladder. In a patient who already has urinary incontinence, the Le Fort operation would be relatively contraindicated. An A&P repair essentially involves excision of redundant mucosa along the anterior and posterior walls of the vagina, at the same time strengthening the vaginal walls by suturing the lateral paravaginal fascia together in the midline.