Health disparities and access to advanced therapy for overactive bladder.

AIMS: Refractory overactive bladder (OAB) is among the most common reasons for referral to specialists in voiding dysfunction. Significant racial and ethnic disparities exist in prevalence, severity, and management of OAB, presenting care barriers for marginalized patients. We aim to explicate these disparities and explore the factors that led to their existence and persistence. We will additionally offer suggestions to mitigate such disparities and approach equitable care for our patients. METHODS: This is a narrative review of pertinent articles related to health disparities in OAB. Articles on OAB prevalence stratified by race and ethnicity, and variations in treatment patterns for patients of marginalized backgrounds were identified from the PubMed database. We also included a review of evidence from governmental and historical sources to provide sociocultural context. RESULTS: Patients from marginalized backgrounds are underrepresented in OAB literature. There appear to be differences in symptom severity and prevalence based on race. OAB severity seems closely entwined with social determinants of health. Patients from marginalized populations experience numerous care barriers impeding the treatment of OAB. Finally, White patients are more likely to receive advanced management for OAB. CONCLUSIONS: Numerous health disparities exist in the diagnosis and management of OAB. This review is grounded in societal context: health injustice in the United States ultimately stems from systemic racism. Improving our understanding of care disparities and the systems that allow them to persist will bring us closer to equity and allow our patients from marginalized backgrounds to obtain the evidence-based care they deserve.

Perioperative adverse events in women over age 65 undergoing robot-assisted sacrocolpopexy.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Pelvic floor disorders are common among and disproportionately affect older women. There are limited data regarding perioperative adverse events in older women undergoing robot-assisted sacrocolpopexy (RASC) specifically. The aim of this study was to compare the rate of perioperative adverse events in younger (age <65 years) versus older (age >65 years) women who underwent RASC. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of women who underwent RASC between 2013 and 2018. Postoperative adverse events were categorized according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Our primary outcome was the rate of intraoperative adverse events and postoperative adverse events with Clavien-Dindo grade II or greater. Outcomes were compared using univariate and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: Of the 327 patients included in the study, 227 were <65 years of age and 100 were ≥65 years of age. Women ≥65 years of age had higher rates of hypertension, higher American Society of Anesthesiologist (ASA) class, and higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores compared with women <65 years of age; these were not associated with increased likelihood of adverse events. The overall rate of any perioperative adverse event was 18.3%. There was no statistically significant difference in the overall rate of perioperative adverse events between younger and older women (18.5% vs 18.0%, p = 0.91). CONCLUSIONS: There is no difference in rate of adverse events between women ≥65 years of age undergoing RASC and their younger counterparts.

Clinical anatomy of fecal incontinence in women.

Fecal incontinence is a devastating condition that has a severe impact on quality of life. This condition disproportionately affects women and its incidence is increasing with the aging United States population. Fecal continence is maintained by coordination of a functioning anal sphincter complex, intact sensation of the anorectum, rectal compliance, and the ability to consciously control defecation. Particularly important are the puborectalis sling of the levator ani muscle complex and intact innervation of the central and peripheral nervous systems. An understanding of the intricate anatomy required to maintain continence and regulate defecation will help clinicians to provide appropriate medical and surgical management and diminish the negative impact of fecal incontinence. In this article, we describe the anatomic and neural basis of fecal continence and normal defecation as well as changes that occur with fecal incontinence in women. Clin. Anat. 30:901-911, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Comparison of Anorectal Manometry Testing in Left Lateral and Lithotomy Positions.

OBJECTIVES: Anorectal manometry (ARM) is typically performed in left lateral position, but many practitioners are more familiar with the lithotomy position. We aimed to evaluate agreement between ARM performed in left lateral and lithotomy positions and patient preference for testing position. METHODS: We performed a prospective comparison study of left lateral versus lithotomy position for women undergoing ARM for the evaluation of fecal incontinence. Women were randomly assigned to undergo testing in either left lateral position first followed by lithotomy position, or vice versa. Women then completed a survey assessing preference of position. We performed Bland-Altman analysis to measure the level of agreement between anorectal measurements obtained in the 2 positions. RESULTS: Twenty-one women were enrolled (mean age, 65 ± 2.2 years). We noted an acceptable level of agreement between anal pressure values obtained in left lateral versus lithotomy positions: anal resting pressure (mean difference, 0.9 mm Hg; 95% limits of agreement, 30.2 and -28.5) and anal squeeze pressure (mean difference, 1.8 mm Hg; 95% limits of agreement, 54.3 and -50.7). The level of agreement for sensory values was outside the predetermined clinical acceptability range. Most women (17/21 [81%]) reported a "good" or "very good" experience in both positions. CONCLUSIONS: Anorectal manometry testing in the 2 positions can be used interchangeably for anal resting and squeeze pressures, but not for anorectal sensation. This modification can be introduced into clinical practice to accommodate the preference of women and practitioners who favor lithotomy position.

The Quality of Health Information Available on the Internet for Patients With Fecal Incontinence.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the quality of information available through the Internet for a variety of search terms for fecal incontinence (FI). METHODS: Using the Google search engine, searches were performed for 4 terms: "bowel control problem," "accidental bowel leakage," "fecal incontinence," and "leaking stool." The DISCERN quality analysis tool and JAMA benchmark criteria were implemented by 2 independent reviewers to evaluate the first 20 search results for each term. To determine if 1 term provided higher-quality information, mean DISCERN and JAMA criteria scores as well as Web site category were compared using analysis of variance and Pearson χ tests. RESULTS: Mean DISCERN scores for all terms fell in the middle range of possible scores. DISCERN questions addressing risks of treatment options, effects of treatment on quality of life, and gaps in knowledge/differences in expert opinion had the lowest scores across all search terms (range of scores, 1.1-1.7/5). JAMA criteria on authorship and attribution were most frequently missing on average in 48 of 80 and 42 of 80 Web sites, respectively. There were significant differences in mean DISCERN scores among the terms, with "fecal incontinence" yielding the highest mean score. The term "accidental bowel leakage" yielded the highest number of marketing Web sites, whereas "leaking stool" had the highest proportion of social Web sites. CONCLUSIONS: The quality of available information about FI on the Internet is variable, and key components are often missing. The term "fecal incontinence" yielded the highest quality information of all search terms.