Abdominal Key

Obliterative Procedures Thomas L. Wheeler II Holly E. Richter INTRODUCTION The elderly population, especially 85 years or older, is experiencing an increasing rate of growth (1). As a result, the…

Sutures and Grafts in Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery Marjorie Jean-Michel Willy G. Davila INTRODUCTION Surgeons require tools to accomplish their art. Despite our recent attempts at standardization of surgical techniques, reconstructive…

Posterior Support Defects Joan L. Blomquist Geoffrey W. Cundiff In an integrated health care program serving 149,544 women, Olsen et al noted an 11.1% lifetime risk of surgery for pelvic…

Apical Support Defects Robert E. Gutman INTRODUCTION Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a common condition, with an estimated 225,964 surgical procedures performed in 1997, according to the National Hospital Discharge…

Anterior Wall Support Defects Stephen B. Young Scott M. Kambiss ANATOMY For many years gynecologists have debated the composition and nature of vaginal tissues in relation to the urinary bladder….

Diagnostic Testing of Disorders of Pelvic Support Olugbenga A. Adekanmi Robert M. Freeman The complex interaction between the integrated pelvic support structures making up the bony pelvis, muscles, and fascia…

Overview of Treatment Joseph Schaffer David D. Rahn, Cecilia K. Wieslander INTRODUCTION Disorders of pelvic support affect quality of life but are generally not life-threatening. Most patients with pelvic organ…

The Clinical Evaluation of Pelvic Organ Prolapse Geoffrey W. Cundiff INTRODUCTION There are several key principles that inform the clinical evaluation of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Firstly, vaginal support defects…

Defecatory Dysfunction Mark R. Ellerkmann CONSTIPATION Various subjective and objective definitions exist for constipation. Commonly they address frequency of bowel movements, stool consistency, and degree of difficulty with evacuation. Typically,…