The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of paravaginal defects and to report the correlation between diagnosing a paravaginal defect preoperatively and observing the presence of one intraoperatively. This was a prospective study in which 77 patients with at least stage 2 prolapse of the anterior vaginal wall who desired surgical correction of their prolapse were assessed pre- and intraoperatively for the detection of a paravaginal defect. In order to differentiate a midline or central defect from a paravaginal defect, an index finger or ring forceps was placed vaginally toward each ischial spine separately. If the prolapse became reduced, the patient was clinically diagnosed with a paravaginal defect on that side. The intraoperative visualization or palpation of the pubocervical fascia detached from the arcus tendineus fasciae pelvis was used as the gold standard in diagnosing a paravaginal defect. The overall prevalence of a paravaginal defect in patients with at least stage 2 prolapse of the anterior vaginal wall was 37.7%. The sensitivities for detecting a left, right and bilateral paravaginal defect were 47.6, 40.0 and 23.5%, respectively, while the specificities for each side were 71.4, 67.3, and 80.0%, respectively. The overall prevalence of a paravaginal defect in patients with anterior vaginal wall prolapse is low. The standard clinical evaluation used to preoperatively detect a paravaginal defect in our hands is a poor predictor for the actual presence of a paravaginal defect.