What is restifem?
What is restifem?
It is a new type of vaginal support pessary which was developed especially for women after giving birth. The pessary supports and relieves the pelvic floor muscles as well as the pelvic floor connective tissue, which has been widely neglected up to now. This support promotes its recovery.
During pregnancy and vaginal birth, the pelvic floor connective tissue is highly overstretched and sometimes even ruptured and, in its fixation areas, torn. An incomplete recovery after a birth can lead immediately or years later to stress urinary incontinence and symptomatic vaginal descensus and prolapse.
According to literature, about 50% of women who have given birth suffer from descensus (e.g. prolapse of the vagina or uterus) in the course of their lives. Symptoms, such as stress urinary incontinence or descensus, can be alleviated by wearing restifem.
Why is restifem so special?
Restifem consists of a tissue-compatible silicone whose shape is adapted to the vaginal anatomy. Restifem offers elastic counterpressure in addition to the conventional support function for the vagina, bladder, urethra and uterus due to its special shape in the area of the posterior vaginal fornix.
This counterpressure is directed against the prevailing pressure in the abdominal cavity and thus provides anatomically correct pressure relief for the ligaments, soft tissue and, at the same time, for the pelvic floor muscles.
What does restifem consist of and how does it work?
Restifem consists of a tissue-compatible silicone whose shape is adapted to the vaginal anatomy. As already mentioned under “Why is restifem so special?”, restifem offers elastic counterpressure in addition to the conventional support function for the vagina, bladder, urethra and uterus due to its special shape in the area of the posterior vaginal fornix. This counterpressure is directed against the prevailing pressure in the abdominal cavity and thus provides anatomically correct pressure relief for the ligaments, soft tissue and, at the same time, for the pelvic floor muscles.
1. Preventative effect
Pregnancy and birth, whether vaginal delivery or caesarean section, lead to overstretching of the pelvic connective tissue and overloading of the pelvic floor muscles. Both should be relieved by pessary therapy with restifem in order to support the recovery processes.
2. Therapeutic effect
For women who suffer from stress urinary incontinence and/or descensus, these complaints can be improved or even eliminated by wearing the device, as restifem supports the weakened anatomical structures, thus supporting urinary continence. This therapeutic effect also applies to women in other periods of their lives including menopause.
A detailed description of the way it works can be found in the section: Restifem – Instructions for use.
How is restifem used?
Restifem is inserted into the vagina, like a tampon or pessary. It can be inserted and changed independently by the user. The individual steps for insertion and removal can be found in the section: restifem – instructions for use.
It is recommended to insert the pessary in the morning and remove it in the evening, clean it with tap water and/or a mild liquid soap and reinsert it the following day.
In order to optimally support the recovery of the pelvic floor connective tissue after a delivery, restifem should be used for at least 3-6 months after completion of the immediate postpartum period.
The duration of application depends on the breastfeeding period. Breastfeeding causes a relative lack of oestrogen in the vaginal tissue, which can delay the recovery of connective tissue and muscles in the pelvis. For this reason, it seems sensible to use the pessary beyond the breastfeeding period. To what extent an accompanying local hormone therapy supports the pessary therapy has to be discussed with the treating gynaecologist. For women in the menopause and beyond, such concomitant therapy is recommended, unless contraindicated medically.
When is restifem not for me?
If you are still in the puerperal period or have a vaginal, bladder or urinary tract infection, you should not use the pessary. After the inflammation has healed you can continue with the therapy. You should also not use restifem if you are intolerant to silicone or if the vaginal skin is not intact. It is important that you can handle restifem yourself, insert, remove and clean it every day.
Before using restifem you can discuss the handling with your attending gynaecologist.
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