What is pelvic congestion syndrome?

St. Joseph’s/Candler Vascular Surgeon Dr. Kristy Conlon explains this rare, but treatable condition

There are many conditions that can cause you to experience pain in the pelvic floor region. One condition is called pelvic congestion syndrome.

Pelvic congestion occurs when either there’s dilation of your ovarian veins (veins in your pelvis) that is caused by the development of abnormal vein drainage or by genetic vein abnormalities. When that happens, it causes pressure – or congestion – inside the pelvis and presents as pain or pressure in the pelvic region and/or pain during intercourse, explains Dr. Kristy Conlon, vascular surgeon with St. Joseph’s/Candler Physician Network – Vascular Specialists. It also can lead to lower extremity swelling, groin pain and varicose veins of the labia.

Pelvic congestion can be caused by scar tissue that occurs for a variety of reasons or it can be a genetic abnormality, Dr. Conlon says. The condition presents frequently during pregnancy because of the increase in blood volume and the pressure from the baby.

Currently, there’s no way to prevent pelvic congestion. However, it is a manageable and treatable condition so you don’t have to live in pain.

“It’s not very common. I probably see it once every couple of months in patients,” Dr. Conlon says.

When she does see a patient experiencing pelvic pain, it’s first important to rule out any other causes – and there’s many when it comes to the pelvic floor region. Diagnosing pelvic congestion can be done via ultrasounds, a CT scan or the gold standard is to do a venogram.

This is an imaging study with contrast and X-ray. The contrast is a dye that is injected into the veins. Then, with the use of a catheter with an ultrasound on the tip of it, healthcare professionals can look at the veins from the inside, Dr. Conlon explains. They can see if there’s any narrowing of the vein and then measure the pressure with the catheter to see how significant is the narrowing.

“It’s really awesome technology,” Dr. Conlon says.

If there is narrowing and reflux – backwards flow of the blood – then Dr. Conlon can put in a stent in the vein to alleviate pressure and improve blood flow or even put coils in the dysfunctional veins to prevent that backwards flow.

So if you are experiencing any pain or pressure in the pelvic region, you don’t have to live with it. You can work with a team of specialists, from your primary care doctor to OB/GYNs to vascular surgeons, to properly diagnosis your condition and get the treatment you need.