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Objective: To determine whether use of an intravaginal motion-based digital therapeutic device for pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) was superior to PFMT alone in women with stress-predominant urinary incontinence (SUI)., Methods: A multicenter, randomized-controlled trial was conducted where women with SUI or SUI-predominant mixed urinary incontinence were treated with either PFMT using the device (intervention group) or PFMT alone (control group). Primary outcomes, measured at 8 weeks, included change in Urinary Distress Inventory, short-version and improvement in the Patient Global Impression of Improvement, defined as "much better" or "very much better." Participants also completed Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Colorectal-anal Distress Inventories, Pelvic-Floor-Impact Questionnaire and a 3-day bladder diary. Primary analysis used a modified intention-to-treat approach. Statistical analysis used Student t test and χ2 test. The trial was prematurely halted due to device technical considerations., Results: Seventy-seven women were randomized, and final analysis included 61 participants: 29 in intervention and 32 in control group. There was no statistical difference in Urinary Distress Inventory, short-version scores between the intervention (-13.7 ± 18.7) and the control group (-8.7 ± 21.8; P = 0.85), or in Patient Global Impression of Improvement (intervention 51.7% and control group 40.6%; P = 0.47). Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Colorectal-anal Distress Inventories and Pelvic-Floor-Impact Questionnaire scores improved significantly more in the intervention group than the control group (all P < 0.05). Median number of SUI episodes decreased from baseline to 8 weeks by -1.7 per-day [(-3)-0] in the intervention group and -0.7[(-1)-0] in the control group, (P = 0.047)., Conclusions: In this prematurely terminated trial, there were no statistically significant differences in primary outcomes; however, PFMT with this digital therapeutic device resulted in significantly fewer SUI episodes and greater improvement in symptom-specific quality of life outcomes. A larger powered trial is underway., Competing Interests: The authors have declared they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2021 American Urogynecologic Society. All rights reserved.)

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the association between hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels and midurethral sling (MUS) complications., Methods: This was a multihospital, retrospective cohort study from 2010 to 2020. We included all women with diabetes mellitus who underwent a synthetic mesh MUS procedure and had a preoperative HbA1c within 3 months of surgery. The primary outcome was a composite of complications, including MUS mesh exposure, surgical site granulation tissue or infection, urinary tract infection, surgical site pain beyond 6 weeks postoperatively, and MUS failure. A sensitivity analysis analyzing MUS failure alone was performed., Results: During the study period, 109 women met the inclusion criteria. Most were White (52.2%) and had a median body mass index of 31.2 kg/m2, and 84.9% were postmenopausal. Median HbA1c was 7.2% (interquartile range, 6.3%-7.7%). Urinary tract infection was the most common complication in 12 (11.0%) women. Mesh exposure was diagnosed in 7 (6.4%) women. Seventeen (15.6%) had MUS failure. On univariate regression analysis, a higher HbA1c was associated with increased odds of composite complications (odds ratio, 1.67; 95% confidence interval, 1.20-2.32; P = 0.002) and MUS failure (odds ratio, 1.81, 95% confidence interval, 1.26-2.60; P = 0.001). On multivariate analysis, higher HbA1c levels were associated with a composite of complications and failure (P < 0.05). Based on the receiver operating characteristic curve, HbA1c greater than 8% demonstrated a specificity of 85.7% and a sensitivity of 50% for MUS failure., Conclusions: In diabetic patients, a higher HbA1c was associated with a higher risk of MUS complications and failure. Obtaining an HbA1c within 3 months of surgery may help with risk stratification., Competing Interests: C.M. is a consultant for Scynexis, Inc and receives research support from Merck and royalties from UpToDate. M.M.W. receives royalties from UpToDate and research support from Renovia Inc. MV.O., M.B., E.A., K.J., and E.V.B. have declared they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2020 American Urogynecologic Society. All rights reserved.)

Although the peak incidence of surgery for pelvic floor disorders does not occur until after menopause, an increasing number of younger women are seeking treatment for these problems. Whereas most surgeons would recommend delaying surgery until the completion of childbearing, published cases and case series address outcomes after subsequent pregnancies in women who have been treated for urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. This document synthesizes the available evidence on the impact of pregnancy on women with prior treatment for pelvic floor disorders and on the impact of these prior treatments on subsequent pregnancy. Pregnancy after the repair of obstetrical anal sphincter laceration is also discussed. Consensus recommendations are presented based on available literature review and expert involvement.

Objective: Horseshoe kidney (HSK) is the most common renal fusion defect that can alter vascular and upper urinary tract anatomy. Anatomic variations in the presacral space can make surgical dissection very challenging. The aim of this study was to characterize presacral anatomy in women with HSK., Methods: Large academic centers' database was queried to identify imaging studies in adult women with HSK. Available multiplanar computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging images were reviewed, and relevant vascular and upper urinary tract anatomy was measured and compared with published normal values. Study population was compared with the normal controls using Student t test, χ test, or Fisher exact test as appropriate., Results: One hundred seventy-eight women were identified initially, and 20 confirmed to have HSK on imaging. The mean ± SD age was 54.5 ± 16.9 years, and body mass index was 27.3 ± 7.5 kg/m. Women with HSK had a narrower angle of aortic bifurcation (39.1 ± 18.7 degrees vs 55.6 ± 4.5 degrees, P = 0.014); the right ureter was closer to midline (22.9 ± 8.8 mm vs 32.3 ± 1.2 mm, P < 0.001) when compared with normal controls anatomy. In 40% of women with HSK, the bifurcation of the vena cava was below the level of L5 in contrast to the 8% in the normal population (P < 0.001). In 60% of women with HSK, the inferior pole of the kidney was at or below L5., Conclusions: Ureteral, renal, and vascular anatomic alterations in women with HSK may make presacral surgical anatomy challenging by obscuring the anterior longitudinal ligament anchoring point. Preoperative imaging is warranted to determine the feasibility of female pelvic reconstructive surgery in HSK patients.

The symptoms of constipation and obstructed defecation are common in women with pelvic floor disorders. Female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery specialists evaluate and treat women with these symptoms, with the initial consultation often occurring when a woman has the symptom or sign of posterior compartment pelvic organ prolapse (including rectocele or enterocele) or if a rectocele or enterocele is identified in pelvic imaging. This best-practice statement will review techniques used to evaluate constipation and obstructed defecation, with a special focus on the relationship between obstructed defecation, constipation, and pelvic organ prolapse.

Objectives: Minimally invasive apical sacropexies (MI-APSC) can be performed using robotics or laparoscopy. We hypothesized that operative characteristics of MI-APSC, laparoscopic (LSC) and robotic (RSC), were similar. The objective of our study was to compare operative characteristics, objective prolapse outcomes, and robotic learning curve., Methods: Ninety-two women planning MI-APSC for treatment of apical pelvic organ prolapse from 2006 to 2010 were included in the study. The primary outcome was operative time. The secondary outcomes included estimated blood loss, rate of conversion, intraoperative complications, hospital stay, and objective prolapse outcome. We also analyzed the robotic learning curve. Statistical analysis included independent samples t test, Wilcoxon rank sum test, χ, and multiple logistic regressions; significance was set at P < 0.05. Learning curve was graphed with moving average and analyzed with moving block technique., Results: Forty-eight RSCs and 43 LSCs were analyzed. Mean operative times were LSC, 238 ± 59 minutes; and RSC, 242 ± 54 minutes. Robotic MI-APSC setup was longer (P = 0.02). Complications, conversions, estimated blood loss and hospital stay were low and similar between groups. Patients' characteristics were similar. Concomitant procedures produced longer operative times., Conclusions: Operating room experiences with laparoscopic- and robotic-assisted approaches to MI-APSC were similar, but setup time is longer for the robotic-assisted approach. The robotic learning curve is short for surgeons who have experience with LSC.