Bladder and Rectovaginal fistula

If a woman’s pelvis is not fully developed or in some way deformed, or the baby is in an awkward position, labour can be protracted, sometimes lasting for 5 days or more. During this time, the young mother experiences unbelievable pain and agony, and often suffers a stillbirth.

The constant pressure of the baby’s head onto the pelvis and the birth channel means that the blood circulation is reduced, creating lesions in the tissues around that area; the tissue later dies off. An opening then develops between the bladder and the vagina, and sometimes between the vagina and/or the rectum. The woman can no longer control her urine and/or faecal matter – a strong, unpleasant smell becomes her constant and embarrassing companion. These women are often abandoned by their husbands, avoided by the people of their own village and forced into isolation.

More than three million women around the world have fistula, with over 100,000 new cases each year. more...

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