Making a decision about surgery for female urinary incontinence: a qualitative study of women's views.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: This qualitative interview study explores aspects women with urinary incontinence(UI) reflect upon when considering whether or not to have surgery. Conducted prior to the recent mesh pause in the UK, the article provides insights for current and future approaches to shared decision-making. METHODS: Qualitative in-depth interviews of 28 patients referred to secondary care for stress and mixed UI who were considering UI surgery. Participants were recruited from four urogynaecology clinics in the Midlands and South England, UK. Interviews were conducted in clinics, in patient homes, and by telephone. Data analysis was based on the constant comparative method. RESULTS: Participants' accounts comprised three key concerns: their experience of symptoms, the extent to which these impacted a variety of social roles and demands, and overcoming embarrassment. Accounts drew on individual circumstances, values, and concerns rather than objective or measurable criteria. In combination, these dimensions constituted a personal assessment of the severity of their UI and hence framed the extent to which women prioritized addressing their condition. CONCLUSIONS: Acknowledging women's personal accounts of UI shifts the concept of 'severity' beyond a medical definition to include what is important to patients themselves. Decision-making around elective surgery must endeavour to link medical information with women's own experiences and personal criteria, which often change in priority over time. We propose that this research provides insight into how the controversy around the use of mesh in the UK emerged. This study also suggests ways in which facilitating shared decision-making should be conducted in future.

Variation in surgical treatment advice for women with stress urinary incontinence: a study using clinical case vignettes.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to determine how recommendations of gynaecologists on surgical treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) were influenced by patient characteristics. METHODS: Two hundred forty-five gynaecologists in the UK fully responded to an online questionnaire including 18 vignettes describing 7 clinical characteristics of women with SUI (age, body mass index, SUI type, previous SUI surgery, frequency of leakage, bother, physical status). The gynaecologists scored recommendations for surgery ranging from 1 'certainly not' to 5 'certainly yes'. Mean scores were used to calculate the relative impact ('weight') of each clinical characteristic. Latent class analysis was used to distinguish groups of gynaecologists with a particular practice style because they responded to the patient characteristics captured in the case vignettes in a similar way. RESULTS: The gynaecologists' overall average recommendation score was 2.9 (interquartile range 2 to 4). All patient characteristics significantly influenced the recommendation scores (p always < 0.001) but their impact was relatively small. SUI type was most important (weight 23%), followed by previous SUI surgery (weight 21%). Latent class analysis identified five groups of gynaecologists with practice styles that differed mainly with respect to their mean recommendation score, ranging from 1.3 to 4.0. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment advice in response to case vignettes was only minimally influenced by patient characteristics. There were five groups of gynaecologists whose inclination to recommend surgical treatment varied. This suggests that there is lack of consensus on the role of surgery as a treatment for SUI. A considerable number of gynaecologists were reluctant to recommend surgery.

The Use of Imaging for Synthetic Midurethral Slings.

Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging can be used to image midurethral slings, which have may have complications such as pain. There is considerable misunderstanding regarding the utility of the different modalities. This article aims to review the current literature to identify the benefits and limitations of each imaging modality and identify the place that each should have for patients with midurethral sling complications. A literature search was performed, and all relevant articles were identified and reviewed. Different imaging modalities are complementary, but more research is required in this area.

Determinants of referral of women with urinary incontinence to specialist services: a national cohort study using primary care data from the UK.

BACKGROUND: Female urinary incontinence is underdiagnosed and undertreated in primary care. There is little evidence on factors that determine whether women with urinary incontinence are referred to specialist services. This study aimed to investigate characteristics associated with referrals from primary to specialist secondary care for urinary incontinence. METHODS: We carried out a cohort study, using primary care data from over 600 general practices contributing to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) in the United Kingdom. We used multi-level logistic regression to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) that reflect the impact of patient and GP practice-level characteristics on referrals to specialist services in secondary care within 30 days of a urinary incontinence diagnosis. All women aged ≥18 years newly diagnosed with urinary incontinence between 1 April 2004 and 31 March 2013 were included. One-year referral was estimated with death as competing event. RESULTS: Of the 104,466 included women (median age: 58 years), 28,476 (27.3%) were referred within 30 days. Referral rates decreased with age (aOR 0.34, 95% CI 0.31-0.37, comparing women aged ≥80 with those aged 40-49 years) and was lower among women who were severely obese (aOR 0.84, 95% CI 0.78-0.90), smokers (aOR 0.94, 95% CI 0.90-0.98), women from a minority-ethnic backgrounds (aOR 0.76, 95% CI 0.65-0.89 comparing Asian with white women), women with pelvic organ prolapse (aOR 0.77, 95% CI 0.68-0.87), and women in Scotland (aOR 0.60, 95% CI 0.46-0.78, comparing women in Scotland and England). One-year referral rate was 34.0% and the pattern of associations with patient characteristics was almost the same as for 30-day referrals. CONCLUSIONS: About one in four women with urinary incontinence were referred to specialist secondary care services within one month after a UI diagnosis and one in three within one year. Referral rates decreased with age which confirms concerns that older women with UI are less likely to receive care according to existing clinical guidelines. Referral rates were also lower in women from minority-ethnic backgrounds. These finding may reflect clinicians' beliefs about the appropriateness of referral, differences in women's preferences for treatment, or other factors leading to inequities in referral for urinary incontinence.

Utility of patient decision aids (PDA) in stress urinary incontinence surgery.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Patient decision aids (PDAs) facilitate shared decision making allowing patients to make decisions about their healthcare that take into account their personal values and preferences. The aim of this study was to establish whether a PDA used in women requiring stress incontinence surgery is helpful to women when making choices about the treatments they choose by using a Decision Conflict Scale (DCS). METHODS: Forty-five consecutive women were identified as having stress urinary incontinence and had completed all conservative treatments. All patients included in the study had stress urinary incontinence confirmed on urodynamic testing and were given the PDA at the point where they needed to make a decision about surgery. Following completion of the PDA, patients were given a DCS to complete which measures personal perceptions of uncertainty when making a decision about treatment. RESULTS: Forty-three out of 45 (95.5%) patients scored 4/4 for the DCS indicating they were sure of their decision. Two patients (4.5%) scored 3/4 and were therefore unsure of their choice. No patient scored < 3 on the DCS. The choice of procedures varied in all the ages and two women opted to have no treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a PDA in the surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence reduces decision conflict and ensures patients are sure of their decision, understand the information provided as well as the risk benefit ratio of the various options and feel they have adequate support and advice to make a choice.

Management of complications arising from the use of mesh for stress urinary incontinence-International Urogynecology Association Research and Development Committee opinion.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Management of pain or mesh exposure complications after stress incontinence surgery has become a new issue over the last 20 years with the introduction of mesh techniques to treat stress incontinence. There is much debate regarding the incidence of complications and how best to treat them. METHODS: A working subcommittee from the International Urogynecology Association (IUGA) Research and Development (R&D) Committee was formed. An initial document was drafted based on a literature review. The review focused on complications of vaginal mesh inserted for stress incontinence. After evaluation by the entire IUGA R&D Committee revisions were made. The final document represents the IUGA R&D Committee Opinion. RESULTS: The R&D Committee Opinion reviews the literature on the management of complications arising from the use of mesh for stress urinary incontinence. The review concentrated on the assessment and treatment of pain and exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Complications after surgery for stress incontinence using mesh may not be common occurrences for individual surgeons. Complications may be difficult to manage and outcomes are variable. Specialist centres and a multidisciplinary approach may optimise treatment and reporting of outcomes.

National BSUG audit of stress urinary incontinence surgery in England.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The aim of the British Society of Urogynaecology (BSUG) 2013 audit for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) surgery was to conduct a national clinical audit looking at the intra- and postoperative complications and provide outcomes for these procedures. This audit was supported by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) and National Health Service (NHS) England. METHODS: Data were collected for all continence procedures performed in 2013 through the BSUG database. All clinicians in England performing SUI surgery were invited to submit data to a central database. Outcomes data for the different continence procedures were collected and included intraoperative and postoperative complications and the change in continence scores at postoperative follow-up Changing trends in stress incontinence surgery were also assessed. RESULTS: We recorded 4993 urinary incontinence procedures from 177 consultants at 110 centres in England: 94.6% were midurethral slings; 86.7% (4331) were submitted by BSUG members with the remaining 13.3% submitted by non-BSUG members. Postoperative follow-up data were available for 3983 (80%) patients: 92.3% (3676) were very much better/much better postoperatively, and 4806 (96.3%) proceeded with no reported complications. There were 187 cases (3.7%) in which a perioperative complication was recorded. Pain persisting >30 days was reported in 1.9% of all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery for SUI has good outcomes in the short term. Midurethral synthetic slings have been shown to be safe and effective as a treatment option, with >90% being very much/much better at their postoperative follow-up.

The use of synthetic mesh for vaginal prolapse in the UK: a review of cases submitted to the British Society of Urogynaecology database.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The use of mesh for vaginal prolapse gained popularity during the 1990s. More recently, concerns have been raised regarding the safety of mesh procedures. Mesh can be inserted vaginally, laparoscopically or via an open abdominal route, but there are few data comparing the outcomes. Most previous published data relate to small numbers of procedures. METHODS: This was a review of data submitted to the British Society of Urogynaecology (BSUG) database of all cases reporting the use of mesh placed vaginally or abdominally (open or laparoscopic) between January 2006 and December 2016. The primary outcome was based on the reported patient global impression of improvement (PGI-I). RESULTS: A total of 6,709 cases of mesh prolapse repair were entered during the study period. Women in the laparoscopic group had a lower BMI and were younger. Significantly more patients in the open group (96.4%) described themselves as very much better or much better compared with the laparoscopic group (91%) and the vaginal mesh group (90.7%; p < 0.001). Only 0.5% of patients reported that they were worse or very much worse. CONCLUSIONS: This dataset suggests that the effectiveness of mesh repair might be good regardless of the route of insertion. The improvement in PGI-I seems to be greatest with open sacrocolpopexy.

Cystodistension versus cystoscopy in patients with refractory detrusor overactivity: a randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Cystodistension may be offered as a treatment for patients with refractory overactive bladder. The reported efficacy is based on a number of case series. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of cystodistension in a randomized trial. METHODS: This was a randomized study comparing cystoscopy combined with cystodistension with cystoscopy alone. The primary outcome was improvement in the Urgency Perception Scale (UPS) score. Symptoms were assessed using the ICIQ Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (ICIQ-FLUTS). Quality of life was assessed using the Urinary Distress Inventory (UDI). RESULTS: A total of 77 patients were recruited into the study with 42 randomized into the cystodistension arm and 35 into the cystoscopy-only arm. UPS scores had improved in both the cystodistension (41%) and cystoscopy (44%) arms at 6 weeks, but cystodistension provided no added benefit over cystoscopy alone. There was a significant improvement in ICIQ-FLUTS scores in the cystoscopy-only arm at 6 weeks (p = 0.01), but there was no significant improvement in the cystodistension arm (p = 0.09). At 6 weeks there were significant improvements in UDI scores in both arms (both p = 0.01). Despite statistical improvements at 6 weeks, no clinically therapeutic benefit was maintained by either procedure at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Cystoscopy produces some short-term improvement in bladder symptoms, but cystodistension does not.

Long-term Rate of Mesh Sling Removal Following Midurethral Mesh Sling Insertion Among Women With Stress Urinary Incontinence.

Importance: There is concern about outcomes of midurethral mesh sling insertion for women with stress urinary incontinence. However, there is little evidence on long-term outcomes. Objective: To examine long-term mesh removal and reoperation rates in women who had a midurethral mesh sling insertion for stress urinary incontinence. Design, Setting, and Participants: This population-based retrospective cohort study included 95 057 women aged 18 years or older who had a first-ever midurethral mesh sling insertion for stress urinary incontinence in the National Health Service hospitals in England between April 1, 2006, and December 31, 2015. Women were followed up until April 1, 2016. Exposures: Patient and hospital factors and retropubic or transobturator mesh sling insertions. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was the risk of midurethral mesh sling removal (partial or total) and secondary outcomes were reoperation for stress urinary incontinence and any reoperation including mesh removal, calculated with death as competing risk. A multivariable Fine-Gray model was used to calculate subdistribution hazard ratios as estimates of relative risk. Results: The study population consisted of 95 057 women (median age, 51 years; interquartile range, 44-61 years) with first midurethral mesh sling insertion, including 60 194 with retropubic insertion and 34 863 with transobturator insertion. The median follow-up time was 5.5 years (interquartile range, 3.2-7.5 years). The rate of midurethral mesh sling removal was 1.4% (95% CI, 1.3%-1.4%) at 1 year, 2.7% (95% CI, 2.6%-2.8%) at 5 years, and 3.3% (95% CI, 3.2%-3.4%) at 9 years. Risk of removal declined with age. The 9-year removal risk after transobturator insertion (2.7% [95% CI, 2.4%-2.9%]) was lower than the risk after retropubic insertion (3.6% [95% CI, 3.5%-3.8%]; subdistribution hazard ratio, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.62-0.84]). The rate of reoperation for stress urinary incontinence was 1.3% (95% CI, 1.3%-1.4%) at 1 year, 3.5% (95% CI, 3.4%-3.6%) at 5 years, and 4.5% (95% CI, 4.3%-4.7%) at 9 years. The rate of any reoperation, including mesh removal, was 2.6% (95% CI, 2.5%-2.7%) at 1 year, 5.5% (95% CI, 5.4%-5.7%) at 5 years, and 6.9% (95% CI, 6.7%-7.1%) at 9 years. Conclusions and Relevance: Among women undergoing midurethral mesh sling insertion, the rate of mesh sling removal at 9 years was estimated as 3.3%. These findings may guide women and their surgeons when making decisions about surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence.

The long term predictive value of preoperative pressure flow studies in the resolution of overactive bladder after insertion of a retropubic midurethral sling.

AIMS: To identify if the short term association of pressure flow rates with resolution of overactive bladder (OAB) is maintained in the long term in patients with mixed urodynamic incontinence treated with a retropubic midurethral sling. To assess if other demographic factors are associated with the long term resolution of OAB. METHODS: This was follow up study of a consecutive case series of 100 patients treated with a MUS at a single center followed up with questionnaires. Preoperative pressure flow studies were compared to the resolution of urgency and urgency incontinence after surgery. RESULTS: A total of 6.25 years after surgery, resolution of urgency and urgency incontinence was associated with a higher preoperative flow rate (26.7 mL/s vs 19.1 mL/s P = 0.02) and a higher flow rate centile (33.1 vs 14.0 P = 0.01). No other demographic parameters were associated with resolution of OAB. CONCLUSIONS: The long term outcome and resolution of urgency and urgency incontinence can be predicted by preoperative pressure flow studies over 6 years after surgery.

Mesh removal after vaginal surgery: what happens in the UK?

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: There is little objective evidence regarding complication rates for mesh procedures outside clinical trials. Current coding poorly collects complications of prolapse and continence surgery using mesh. This survey was designed to identify surgeons performing mesh removal and reporting patterns in the UK. METHODS: An electronic questionnaire was sent to all members of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and members of the Section of Female Neurological and Urodynamic Urology of the British Association of Urologists in the UK. The questionnaire aimed to identify the number of procedures performed for mesh complications and whether they were reported to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the patterns of referral and treatment RESULTS: Referral to a colleague in the same hospital was common practice (69 %). Only 27 % of respondents stated that they reported all removals to the MHRA. The numbers of surgical procedures were low, with most respondents performing between one and three procedures each year and many not performing any surgery for a specific mesh complication in the previous year. CONCLUSIONS: Removal of exposed, eroded and/or painful vaginally inserted mesh is performed by many different surgeons in a variety of hospital settings in the UK.

Cystodistension: Is there evidence to support its use in current practice for patients with overactive bladder?

Cystoscopy and cystodistension have been part of common treatment protocols for a variety of bladder conditions for many years. However, the science behind the procedure is not strong and continued use of the operation may not be justified. Much research is old and was not planned or executed with the current rigour demanded by current trial methods. Newer treatments such as intravesical botulinum toxin have been extensively researched and found to be effective. This review article aimed to review the evidence behind the use of cystodistension for overactive bladder (OAB) with the aim of identifying the weaknesses in the current evidence. The article aimed to identify whether a general anaesthetic cystoscopy and distension has sufficient evidence to recommend its continued use in current practice for patients with OAB resistant to conservative and drug therapies. Impact statement Cystodistension is often used in current practice in patients with overactive bladder (OAB) resistant to conservative and drug therapies. Older data suggested that this may be of benefit but there are no randomized controlled trails with appropriate assessment of symptoms and quality of life outcomes. This paper reviews the current evidence regarding the use of cystodistension in patients with OAB. There is no standardized method of cytodistension making direct comparisons difficult. The data consists of case series from individual units. Some series show benefit but in most cases this is not sustained. Initial improvement may fall to around 10-20% after 6 months. Urodynamic parameters may also fail to improve. The procedure is associated with a complication rate of 10-20%. A randomised controlled trial of cystodistension is needed to identify if this procedure should be performed for patients with OAB.

Altered urothelial ATP signaling in a major subset of human overactive bladder patients with pyuria.

Overactive Bladder (OAB) is an idiopathic condition, characterized by urgency, urinary frequency, and urgency incontinence, in the absence of routinely traceable urinary infection. We have described microscopic pyuria (≥10 wbc/µl) in patients suffering from the worst symptoms. It is established that inflammation is associated with increased ATP release from epithelial cells, and extracellular ATP originating from the urothelium following increased hydrostatic pressure is a mediator of bladder sensation. Here, using bladder biopsy samples, we have investigated urothelial ATP signaling in OAB patients with microscopic pyuria. Basal, but not stretch-evoked, release of ATP was significantly greater from the urothelium of OAB patients with pyuria than from non-OAB patients or OAB patients without pyuria (<10 wbc/µl). Basal ATP release from the urothelium of OAB patients with pyuria was inhibited by the P2 receptor antagonist suramin and abolished by the hemichannel blocker carbenoxolone, which differed from stretch-activated ATP release. Altered P2 receptor expression was evident in the urothelium from pyuric OAB patients. Furthermore, intracellular bacteria were visualized in shed urothelial cells from ∼80% of OAB patients with pyuria. These data suggest that increased ATP release from the urothelium, involving bacterial colonization, may play a role in the heightened symptoms associated with pyuric OAB patients.

Does the diagnosis of detrusor overactivity affect the long-term prognosis of patients treated with a retropubic midurethral sling?

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: There are few long-term studies on the midurethral sling (MUS) procedure in patients with preoperative detrusor overactivity (DO) and there is debate regarding the usefulness of preoperative cystometry. This study was designed to provide long-term efficacy and safety data for the Advantage MUS and to compare the outcomes in patients with pure urodynamic stress incontinence (USI) with the outcomes in patients with mixed USI and DO. METHODS: This was a retrospective consecutive case series study of 100 patients with USI (USI-only group) matched to a consecutive group of a further 100 patients with preoperative USI and DO (mixed group) treated with a retropubic MUS. Outcomes were assessed using the King's Health Questionnaire and Patient Global Impression of Improvement questionnaire. RESULTS: After a mean follow up of 6 years more patients in the USI-only group described themselves as "very much better" or "much better" (86 % USI-only group vs. 57 % mixed group; p = 0.007). Quality of life was improved at 6 years from baseline in both groups. Patients in the mixed group were more likely to complain of urgency (69 % vs. 42 %; p = 0.0007) which was more likely to be severe (34 % vs. 10 %; p = 0.004). A repeat MUS procedure was needed in 1 % of patients and 0.6 % needed surgical removal of the MUS for persistent troublesome pain. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that the preoperative diagnosis of DO affects the long-term patient-perceived outcome of the MUS procedure. However, most patients have significant long-term improvement in quality of life.

Tolerability and persistence in a large, prospective case series of women prescribed mirabegron.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Most published data on mirabegron relates to short-term clinical trials and suggest that it might be effective in controlling OAB and have low side effects. This study aimed to identify persistence with mirabegron, changes in symptoms and quality of life, and predictors of perseverance over 1 year. METHODS: The study was a large, prospective case series of 354 patients who were prescribed mirabegron for OAB between February 2013 and July 2014. At 1 year, patients filled out patient global impression of improvement, the International Consultation on Incontinence female lower urinary tract symptoms questionnaire (ICIQ-FLUTS) and PFDI questionnaires. The reasons for discontinuing treatment were identified. RESULTS: Outcomes were available for 88 % of the cohort. Twenty five percent continued mirabegron therapy at 1 year with 26 % "very much better" and 37 % "much better". ICIQ-FLUTS (17.2-13.4; p = 0.002) and urinary distress inventory (UDI) (59.2-44.3; p < 0.001) scores demonstrated significant improvements from baseline (pre-treatment) compared with 1 year. The ICIQ-FLUTS "filling score" increased from 3.55 at 6 weeks to 5.27 at 1 year (p = 0.02) despite continuing mirabegron therapy. The most common causes of discontinuation were lack of efficacy (26 %) and side effects (10 %). Thirty-seven percent of the cohort was taking mirabegron in combination with an anticholinergic. Patients who were treatment naïve were more likely to discontinue mirabegron than those who had previously taken anticholinergics (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Over two thirds of patients discontinue mirabegron therapy within 1 year. A significant proportion of patients were on combined therapy to control symptoms. The initial improvement in symptom scores seems to deteriorate. The improvements in quality of life are sustained in patients who persist with therapy.

Is pretreatment cystometry important in predicting response to mirabegron in women with overactive bladder symptoms?

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The aim of this study was to evaluate for any association between pretreatment cystometry results and outcome of treatment with mirabegron in women with overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms. METHODS: This was a prospective observational study of women with OAB symptoms that proved refractory to conservative management. All women underwent filling and voiding subtraction cystometry prior to further treatment. Women were treated with mirabegron 50 mg once daily, and outcomes were evaluated after 6 weeks' treatment. The primary outcome measure was change in symptoms as indicated by response to the Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I) scale. The presence of detrusor overactivity (DO), the highest detrusor pressure recorded during the filling phase, the presence of urodynamic stress incontinence (USI), cystometric capacity, voided volume, maximum flow rate and detrusor pressure at maximum flow were all compared between responders and nonresponders. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 169 women; response rate to mirabegron was 69.8 %. There was no association between the presence of DO or maximum detrusor pressure during filling and USI, cystometric capacity, maximum flow rate and detrusor pressure at maximum flow and treatment response. In a subgroup with OAB symptoms refractory to previous treatment with antimuscarinics, there was an association between the presence of DO and a positive treatment response (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, there is no association between urodynamic findings and response to treatment with mirabegron. This may reflect the fact that mirabegron's mode of action mechanisms are not measurable using cystometry. In women with refractory symptoms, however, the presence of DO is associated with a positive response to treatment.

Prevention of pelvic floor disorders: international urogynecological association research and development committee opinion.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Pelvic floor disorders (PFD), including urinary incontinence, anal incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse, are common and have a negative effect on the quality of life of women. Treatment is associated with morbidity and may not be totally satisfactory. Prevention of PFDs, when possible, should be a primary goal. The purpose of this paper is to summarise the current literature and give an evidence-based review of the prevention of PFDs METHODS: A working subcommittee from the International Urogynecological Association (IUGA) Research and Development (R&D) Committee was formed. An initial document addressing the prevention of PFDs was drafted, based on a review of the English-language literature. After evaluation by the entire IUGA R&D Committee, revisions were made. The final document represents the IUGA R&D Committee Opinion on the prevention of PFDs. RESULTS: This R&D Committee Opinion reviews the literature on the prevention of PFDs and summarises the findings with evidence-based recommendations. CONCLUSIONS: Pelvic floor disorders have a long latency, and may go through periods of remission, thus making causality difficult to confirm. Nevertheless, prevention strategies targeting modifiable risk factors should be incorporated into clinical practice before the absence of symptomatology.

Recurrent pelvic organ prolapse: International Urogynecological Association Research and Development Committee opinion.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: This committee opinion paper summarizes available evidence about recurrent pelvic organ prolapse (POP) to provide guidance on management. METHOD: A working subcommittee from the International Urogynecological Association (IUGA) Research and Development Committee was formed. The literature regarding recurrent POP was reviewed and summarized by individual members of the subcommittee. Recommendations were graded according to the 2009 Oxford Levels of Evidence. The summary was reviewed by the Committee. RESULTS: There is no agreed definition for recurrent POP and evidence in relation to its evaluation and management is limited. CONCLUSION: The assessment of recurrent POP should entail looking for possible reason(s) for failure, including persistent and/or new risk factors, detection of all pelvic floor defects and checking for complications of previous surgery. The management requires individual evaluation of the risks and benefits of different options and appropriate patient counseling. There is an urgent need for an agreed definition and further research into all aspects of recurrent POP.