Apical Vaginal Support: The Often Forgotten Piece of the Puzzle.
Year: 2017
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Pelvic organ prolapse is common among women who have delivered vaginally or had a hysterectomy. In a total hysterectomy, the apical vaginal support is transected. Although evidence supports re-establishment of apical support, our research showed that this rarely occurs in hysterectomies. To address our lack of definitions of "significant" apical support loss and recommendations to guide surgeons as to when they should perform an apical support procedure, we analyzed patient data and found that a simple assessment of the genital hiatus can effectively screen for significant apical support loss. Our work will hopefully highlight the importance of apical support loss and current deficits in research and clinical guidelines.
Source: Europe PMC (PubMed Central)
Author: Jerry L Lowder
Institution: Washington University in St. Louis
Language: English
Subfield: Urology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3025228647