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Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a common presenting complaint in gynaecology. In the UK, prolapse accounts for 20% of women on the waiting list for major gynaecological surgery. It is therefore important that clinicians understand how accurately to assess women with prolapse. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive description of the assessment required. Anatomical assessment should be made using the standardized Pelvic Organ Prolapse quantification system (POP-Q). The use of POP-Q in women with POP is recommended by the NICE guideline because allows effective communication between clinicians, reproducible evaluation of surgical outcomes, meaningful comparison of published series and comparison of different populations. The main focus of the review is a detailed and practical explanation of the POP-Q.

The urinary tract, as with all other organ systems, undergoes numerous physiological adaptions in response to pregnancy. These normal adaptions can increase the risk of complications, such as acute infection and urinary retention, which in turn increase the risk of poor outcomes for the pregnancy. Other urogynaecological complications, for example urological injury at caesarean section, can significantly increase long term morbidity. Therefore it is important that Obstetricians are aware of the potential complications that can occur. This article aims to give a general overview of urogynaecological complications that can arise in pregnancy and how to manage them.

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a common presenting complaint in gynaecology. It is therefore important that clinicians understand how to accurately assess women with prolapse. The aim of this article is to provide a comprehensive description of the assessment required. Anatomical assessment should be made using the standardized Pelvic Organ Prolapse quantification system (POP-Q). The use of POP-Q in women with POP allows effective communication between clinicians, reproducible evaluation of surgical outcomes, meaningful comparison of published series and comparison of different populations. The main focus of the article is a detailed and practical explanation of the POP-Q.

The pathological cause of uterine prolapse is loss of integrity of the uterosacral and cardinal ligament complex and a weakening of the pelvic floor diaphragm. Uterine descent is a consequence rather than the cause of pelvic organ prolapse. However vaginal hysterectomy is an operation which is commonly performed to treat uterine prolapse. Does the uterus need to be removed? The advent of minimally invasive surgical techniques and a shift towards patient centred care is leading surgeons to question the need to remove the uterus. This article examines the facts and evidence behind the debate.