Pelvic Organ Prolapse · Treatment

Uterine Prolapse Surgery: Uterus-Preserving Repair in Seoul

Uterine prolapse surgery repositions and supports a uterus that has dropped into the vagina. At Somssi Women's Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, Dr. Yoon Ho-joo performs it as a uterus-preserving, native-tissue operation: a hysteropexy lifts and fixes the uterus, a culdoplasty closes the weak cul-de-sac, and a posterior colporrhaphy with pelvic floor restoration rebuilds the vaginal support, all without mesh. Surgery takes about an hour under sedation, with same-day discharge.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD, OB/GYN specialist, Somssi Women's Clinic · Last updated October 2026

At a glance

Key facts

The essentials, based on how Somssi Women's Clinic performs this procedure or answers this question. Your plan is confirmed at consultation.

• Procedure time: about 50 minutes to 1 hour
• Anesthesia: sedation ("sleep") plus long-acting local; local only if you prefer
• Hospital stay: none; you go home the same day once you have urinated
• Sutures: absorbable, dissolve in about 1 week, no removal visit
• Back to work: desk work immediately or the next day; golf after 1 week
• Intercourse: after 7 to 8 weeks
• Performed by: Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD, OB/GYN specialist

What is uterine prolapse surgery?

Uterine prolapse happens when the ligaments and pelvic floor muscles that hold the uterus in place stretch or weaken, letting the uterus slide down into the vaginal canal. Surgery aims to put the uterus back where it belongs, rebuild the support beneath it, and relieve the heaviness, bulging and bladder or bowel symptoms that come with it.

There are two broad surgical philosophies. One removes the uterus (hysterectomy) and then suspends the top of the vagina. The other keeps the uterus and re-suspends it, an approach called hysteropexy. Somssi Women's Clinic is a surgical gynecology clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, founded in 2000 and led by Dr. Yoon Ho-joo, MD, PhD, and uterus-preserving, native-tissue repair is the operation we perform most often for prolapse.

Doctors describe prolapse with the POP-Q system, from stage 0 (no descent) to stage 4 (complete eversion). Where your prolapse sits on that scale shapes the plan, so we measure it before discussing surgery. You can read more in What Are the Stages of Uterine Prolapse?.

Who is a good candidate?

• You feel heaviness, dragging or a bulge at the vaginal opening, especially late in the day or after standing.
• Your cervix has descended several centimeters into the vagina (typically stage 1 to 2 prolapse) and the symptoms affect daily life.
• You have urinary frequency, a sense of incomplete emptying, or constipation linked to the prolapse.
• You want to keep your uterus, for personal, cultural or sexual reasons, or simply because you see no need to remove a healthy organ.
• Pelvic floor exercises or a pessary have not given enough relief, or you do not want a lifelong device.
• Vaginal laxity after childbirth coexists with the prolapse and you would like both addressed in one operation.

Surgery is not the right first step for everyone. For mild, early prolapse with few symptoms we usually recommend supervised pelvic floor training first, sometimes with an EMS (electrical muscle stimulation) Kegel device. See Can Uterine Prolapse Be Treated Without Surgery? for that pathway.

How Somssi performs uterine prolapse surgery

Dr. Yoon operates entirely through the vagina, using your own tissue and no mesh, bands or implants. The operation has several linked parts, completed in one session.

1. Measurement and design

Before anything is done, we measure total vaginal length, the position of the cervix, the thickness of the vaginal wall and the strength of the pelvic floor. A normal vagina is about 8 to 9 centimeters long; when the cervix sits within about 5 centimeters of the opening, the uterus is already prolapsing. These numbers decide how much support must be rebuilt.

2. Hysteropexy

The uterus is repositioned and the supporting tissue around the cervix is gathered and tied to hold it there. In the clinic's experience the uterus is lifted by roughly 2 to 4 centimeters. Because the uterus stays, the top of the vagina keeps its natural anchor.

3. Culdoplasty

The cul-de-sac, the pouch behind the cervix where small bowel can push downward, is closed. This long-established gynecologic step supports the upper vagina and lowers the chance of an enterocele forming later.

4. Posterior colporrhaphy and pelvic floor restoration

Working from the posterior fornix in front of the cervix outward to the opening, Dr. Yoon peels the mucosa of the lower (posterior) vaginal wall to under 1 millimeter with fine ophthalmic scissors instead of cutting it. The pelvic floor muscles beneath are gathered toward the midline and sutured first; the mucosa is then folded and closed as a second layer. This two-layer repair thickens the lower wall by about 2 to 3 centimeters and is designed to resist stretching back. The anterior wall, which carries the urethra and bladder, is deliberately left alone.

5. Figure-8 strengthening at the opening

At the vaginal opening the pelvic floor (pubococcygeus) muscles are reinforced with a figure-8 suture pattern, and a perineum shortened by childbirth is rebuilt. The posterior colporrhaphy and perineoplasty pages describe these steps in more depth.

Anesthesia, duration and hospital stay

The operation takes about 50 minutes to one hour. We use sedation ("sleep") anesthesia so you have no memory of the procedure, together with a mixture of long-acting local anesthetics for comfort afterward. Local anesthesia alone is possible if you prefer, and a non-opioid anti-inflammatory is given at the end.

There is no overnight stay. You walk shortly after waking and go home once you have urinated normally. Please fast for two hours before your appointment, wear loose clothing and remove nail polish.

Recovery timeline

Depending on your symptoms you may have between zero and five short follow-up treatments. Patients who live abroad or outside Seoul can manage aftercare at home without frequent visits, and we stay in touch by message or video. Our guide How Long Does Uterine Prolapse Surgery Recovery Take? goes week by week.

Results and what to expect

Most women notice the heaviness and bulge have gone as soon as the early swelling settles. The clinic reported a 2026 retrospective series of 150 women with pelvic organ prolapse in which 74.7% chose uterus-preserving surgery and 85.3% reported improved quality of life; the abstract received an award at the Korean Society for Sexual Medicine meeting in May 2026. These are the clinic's own figures rather than an independent trial, and individual results vary.

Dr. Yoon has presented on prolapse and sexual function at international meetings (ESSM Vienna 2006, WAS Sydney 2007, ISSWSH San Diego 2008), and his 2005 paper in the Korean Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology studied sexual function after colpoperineoplasty. Many patients say intercourse feels more comfortable once the uterus no longer sits low in the canal, but we cannot promise a specific change in sensation.

Kegel exercises remain useful after surgery to maintain muscle tone, and we will show you how to do them correctly.

Risks and how we reduce them

• Bleeding and infection: uncommon with the shallow peeling technique and antibiotics; call us for heavy bleeding, fever or foul discharge.
• Rectal or cul-de-sac injury: the posterior wall lies directly on the rectum, so posterior repair carries a small risk of injury that could require further repair. Fine instruments, shallow dissection and careful closure are our main safeguards.
• Pain with intercourse or a vagina that feels too narrow: we size the canal to the cervix rather than over-tightening, and we avoid shortening the vagina, because a shortened vagina is more likely to prolapse again.
• Altered sensation or dryness: we do not operate on the anterior wall, where the urethra and sensitive tissue lie, and the mucosa is preserved rather than removed.
• Recurrence: prolapse can return, particularly with chronic straining, heavy lifting, obesity or weak connective tissue. See Can Uterine Prolapse Come Back After Surgery?.
• Anesthesia reactions: rare with sedation, and you are monitored throughout.

We are also honest about limits. Advanced prolapse (stage 3 to 4, where the cervix reaches or passes the opening) may need a hospital-based approach, sometimes including hysterectomy, before or instead of our vaginal repair. Dr. Yoon will tell you plainly which group you fall into and coordinate with hospital partners when that is the safer route.

Why international patients choose Somssi

Consultations and follow-up are in English, and we have been a Ministry of Health and Welfare registered institution for foreign patients since 2011 and a Seoul Medical Tourism cooperation clinic since 2016. The clinic is 100 meters from Gangnam Station Exit 1, and same-day discharge means no hospital admission to arrange.

Because sutures dissolve and follow-up can be done from abroad, most visitors stay in Seoul for about a week. Dr. Yoon has cared for women since 2000 and published on sexual function after pelvic floor surgery, so you can expect a frank, evidence-based conversation rather than a sales pitch. Practical details are on our international patients page, or contact us with your questions.

Questions patients ask

Frequently asked questions

Short, honest answers. For anything personal, a consultation is the right place to ask.

See the full FAQ →

Will I lose my uterus during prolapse surgery?

Not with the uterus-preserving approach we use. A hysteropexy repositions and fixes the uterus instead of removing it. Hysterectomy is reserved for women who have a separate uterine problem such as cancer or troublesome fibroids, who prefer removal, or whose prolapse is advanced enough that a hospital-based operation is the safer choice. We discuss both routes openly at consultation.

How long do I need to stay in Seoul?

Most international patients plan about a week. You arrive, have your consultation and ultrasound, undergo surgery the same or next day, and have one check before flying. Sutures dissolve on their own, so there is nothing to remove, and later follow-up can be handled by message or video from home.

Can I still have children after uterine prolapse surgery?

Because the uterus is kept, pregnancy is anatomically possible. However, a vaginal birth can stretch the repaired tissue and raise the chance of recurrence. If you may want another child, tell Dr. Yoon; it may be wiser to delay surgery or to plan a cesarean delivery afterward.

Does the surgery help with urinary leakage?

Frequency, urgency and the feeling of incomplete emptying often improve once the uterus and vaginal walls are back in position, because the bladder is no longer kinked or pressed. Pure stress incontinence (leaking with coughing or exercise) is a separate problem that may need its own treatment, which we assess before surgery.

Is the operation painful?

You are asleep under sedation and wake with long-acting local anesthetic already working, so most women describe soreness rather than sharp pain. Oral medication is taken for about five days. There is no sitz bath routine, and you can shower on the day of surgery.

What if my prolapse is stage 3 or 4?

When the cervix reaches or protrudes through the opening, the support defect is larger and a hospital-based operation, sometimes with hysterectomy, may be needed before or instead of our repair. We examine you honestly, tell you which category you are in, and coordinate with hospital partners when that is the safer path.

Keep reading

Related treatments and guides

• Do I Need a Hysterectomy for Uterine Prolapse? — why most women can keep the uterus
• How Long Does Uterine Prolapse Surgery Recovery Take? — week-by-week recovery plan
• Can Uterine Prolapse Come Back After Surgery? — recurrence risk and prevention
• Uterine Prolapse Treatment in Korea for Foreigners: Complete Guide — travel, timing and logistics
• Pelvic Organ Prolapse Repair — when the bladder or rectum has also dropped
• Posterior Colporrhaphy — the vaginal wall repair performed alongside hysteropexy
• Dr. Yoon Ho-joo — credentials and research of your surgeon

Sources and medical review

• Yoon HJ. Perineal plastic surgery (colpoperineoplasty) and female sexual function. Korean Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2005;48(6).
• Te Linde's Operative Gynecology (textbook) — chapters on pelvic organ prolapse and posterior compartment repair.
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) — patient guidance on pelvic organ prolapse.
• International Urogynecological Association (IUGA) / International Continence Society (ICS) — POP-Q terminology for pelvic organ prolapse.

Next step

A consultation first. A decision only when you are ready.

Tell us what you are experiencing and what you hope to change. Dr. Yoon examines, measures and explains the options, including when no surgery is the right answer. International patients can start with an online consultation before travelling to Seoul.