Faculty Bibliography

OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:Surgical site infections (SSI) are a common complication of hysterectomy. Surgical bundles have been shown to reduce SSIs. Here we describe a bundle that was used to combat an abnormal rise in SSI events that resulted in a greater than 75% reduction at our institution. MATERIALS AND METHODS/METHODS:A hysterectomy-specific bundle was developed based on prior success of SSI prevention bundles. Development involved longitudinal education and training to ensure accuracy and compliance. All inpatient abdominal, laparoscopic, and vaginal hysterectomies performed at a tertiary referral center were included. The pre-intervention, intervention, and post-intervention periods were each one year in length. SSI rates were peer-reviewed monthly and overall trends were tracked, including compliance to bundle guidelines. RESULTS:Pre-intervention, an abnormal rise in SSI was identified at 3.76%. During the intervention, 309 inpatient hysterectomies were completed. In this period, six post-hysterectomy SSI events occurred (3.76% vs 1.94%, p=0.21). Four SSIs followed laparotomy and two followed laparoscopy. Compliance during the intervention period ranged from 79-89% with a mean of 85%. In the post-intervention period, there were six SSI following 689 hysterectomies (3.76% vs 0.87%, p=0.004). The majority of SSI occurred after abdominal hysterectomy. CONCLUSIONS:Implementation of a hysterectomy-specific surgical bundle allowed for a significant reduction in post-hysterectomy SSI during a yearlong intervention period and a sustained, further reduction in the post-intervention period.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVE:Robotics-assisted laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (RALSH) with concomitant apical robotics-assisted POP repair provides advantages of minimally invasive procedures; however specimen removal without intraperitoneal spillage of potential pathology remains challenging. The primary aim of our study is to determine the factors affecting contained manual morcellation (CMM) of specimens during RALSH for POP surgery. The secondary aim of the study is to report complications associated with CMM and on specimen pathology. METHODS:A total of 67 sequential patients underwent RALSH with concomitant robotics-assisted sacrocolpopexy or uterosacral vaginal suspension. Factors analyzed to affect CMM were specimen weight, length of skin and fascia incisions, patient age, body mass index (BMI), and estimated blood loss (EBL). RESULTS:Median CMM time was 11 min (1 to 46) and specimen weight 62 g (19 to 711). Median patient age was 56 years (36 to 83), and patient BMI was 28 (18 to 44). Median EBL was 50 ml (10 to 150). Median skin and fascial incision lengths were 3 cm (1.5 to 7), and 3.5 cm (1.5 to 8). CMM time was significantly dependent on specimen weight (p < 0.0001) and length of rectus fascia incision (p < 0.0126). There was no gross tissue spillage or bag ruptures. Uterine pathology revealed normal tissue (26%), leiomyoma (47%), adenomyosis (49%), and endometriosis (14%). 4.5% of specimens had evidence of microscopic neoplasm, and 5 years after surgery patients were cancer free. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Contained manual extraction of the uterus and/or adnexae at the time of RALSH for POP surgery is a viable, safe, and efficient method of specimen removal.

INTRODUCTION:Cutaneous gluteal vaginal fistula is a rare but significant postoperative complication which may present years after sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF) surgery There is limited data on the management of cutaneous vaginal fistula following SSLF. CASE DESCRIPTION:This case report describes a 77-year-old who presents twenty years after SSLF with cutaneous gluteal vaginal abscess and fistula. She underwent successful management with CT-guided percutaneous drainage of gluteal abscess and placement of guiding cutaneous vaginal catheter, laparoscopic pelvic wall dissection and evaluation, and transvaginal localization and removal of the infected permanent suture. DISCUSSION:Multi-disciplinary approach should be considered in the treatment of chronic fistula status post SSLF, including interventional radiology, urogynecology, and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS:While 2017 guidelines from The American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists called for pessary replacement every 3 to 4 months, a recent study in Obstetrics and Gynecology suggested that uninterrupted pessary use up to 6 months is not an independent risk factor for development of pessary-related complications. METHODS:Our recent experience throughout the Covid-19 pandemic highlights the potential ramifications of delayed clinical follow-up. RESULTS:During the Covid-19 pandemic, 3 of our patients developed rectovaginal fistulae secondary to Gellhorn pessary erosion in the context of delayed clinical follow-up. Our patients had previously attended routine appointments every 3 months without complications until missed appointments secondary to the pandemic led to fistulae formation. CONCLUSION:We believe that delayed clinical follow-up of pessary management beyond 3 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic may lead to fistula complications in elderly women with Gellhorn pessaries.

OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:Given the complex anatomy and pathophysiology of urogynecologic disorders, obstetrics and gynecology residents can have difficulty learning the subject's principles. There are no standardized resources for educators in this subspecialty. We hypothesized that our case-based educational intervention was associated with enhanced knowledge and greater resident satisfaction versus traditional urogynecology lectures. METHODS:This is a prospective study involving 19 obstetrics and gynecology residents at a single institution. Residents participated in three 1-hour case-based lectures, which included prelecture and postlecture topic knowledge assessments. Nonparametric Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to compare the before and after responses. Resident satisfaction was assessed using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. RESULTS:The median scores for the pretraining and posttraining assessments of resident urogynecology subject knowledge were 8 (5-10) and 10 (8-10), respectively. A stratified analysis was performed based on postgraduate year (PGY) and median prelectures and postlectures scores showed statistically significance (P < 0.001). Analysis of the PGY subgroups demonstrated statistical significance in PGY1 (P = 0.004), PGY2 (P = 0.008), and PGY3 (P = 0.03). However, the PGY4 subgroup (P = 0.06) did not reach statistical significance.All residents regardless of PGY level either agreed or strongly agreed that the case-based educational intervention enhanced resident knowledge, engagement, and clarity of the relevant teaching points and decreased resident stress about urogynecology topics. CONCLUSIONS:The case-based educational intervention significantly improved resident knowledge in urogynecology and enhanced resident satisfaction with this teaching method versus traditional lectures.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVE:To compare postoperative rates of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in patients with pelvic organ prolapse and SUI undergoing abdominal sacrocolpopexy (ASC) with Burch colposuspension or a transobturator tape (TOT) sling. METHODS:In this retrospective cohort study, medical records of 117 patients who underwent ASC with Burch (n = 60) or TOT (n = 57) between 2008 and 2010 at NYU Winthrop Hospital were assessed. Preoperative evaluation included history, physical examination, cough stress test (CST), and multichannel urodynamic studies (MUDS). Primary outcomes were postoperative continence at follow-up up to 12 weeks. Patients considered incontinent reported symptoms of SUI and had a positive CST or MUDS. Secondary outcomes included intra- and postoperative complications. Associations were analyzed by Fisher's exact, McNemar's and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests. RESULTS:The groups were similar regarding age, BMI, parity, Valsalva leak point pressure (VLPP), and prior abdominal surgery (p = 0.07-0.76). They differed regarding preoperative SUI diagnosed by self-reported symptoms, CST, or MUDS (TOT 89.5-94.7%, Burch 60.7-76.3%, p < 0.0001-0.007). The TOT group had lower rates of postoperative SUI (TOT 12.5%, Burch 30%, OR = 0.15, 95% CI 0.04, 0.62). Relative risk reduction (RRR) in postoperative SUI for the TOT group compared with the Burch group was 79%-86%. There were no differences concerning intra- and postoperative complications. The Burch group had a higher rate of reoperation for persistent/recurrent SUI (Burch 25%, TOT 12% p = 0.078). CONCLUSIONS:The TOT group experienced a greater reduction in postoperative incontinence, and the Burch group underwent more repeat surgeries. The TOT sling may be superior in patients undergoing concomitant ASC.

STUDY OBJECTIVE:To compare operative time in women stratified by body mass index (BMI) undergoing robotic-assisted sacrocolpopexy (RASC). Secondary objectives included characterizing perioperative characteristics and reoperation rates. DESIGN:Retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). SETTING:University-affiliated teaching hospital. PATIENTS:One hundred seventy-nine consecutive patients who underwent RASC by a single surgeon from 2009 through 2013. INTERVENTIONS:RASC. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:). Overweight patients were significantly older, more parous, more frequently postmenopausal, and more frequently underwent concomitant salpingo-oophorectomy. Median operative times were 202, 206, and 216 minutes in the normal-weight, overweight, and obese groups, respectively (p = .53). CONCLUSION:Obese women undergoing RASC have similar operative time and procedural characteristics as normal-weight and overweight patients. Longer term outcomes are needed to ensure comparable surgical and anatomic success.

Interstitial cystitis (IC)/painful bladder syndrome/bladder pain syndrome (BPS) is a chronic hypersensory condition of unknown etiology. Moreover, the optimal modality for diagnosing IC remains disputed. Several urinary markers have been investigated that may have potential utility in the diagnosis or confirmation of IC/BPS. Thus, inflammatory mediators, proteoglycans, urinary hexosamines, proliferative factors, nitric oxide (NO), BK polyomavirus family, and urothelial proinflammatory gene analysis have been found to correlate with varying degrees with the clinical diagnosis or cystoscopic findings in patients with IC/BPS. The most promising urinary biomarker for IC/BPS is antiproliferative factor, a sialoglycopeptide that has demonstrated inhibitory effects on urothelial cell proliferation and a high sensitivity and specificity for IC/BPS symptoms and clinical findings. In this article, we review the urinary markers, possible future therapies for IC/BPS, and the clinical relevance and controversies regarding the diagnosis of IC/BPS.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to gain insight into the nature of obstetric fistulae in Africa through patient perspectives. STUDY DESIGN: At l'Hopital Saint Jean de Dieu in Tanguieta, Benin, 37 fistula patients underwent structured interviews about fistula cause, obstacles to medical care, prevention, and reintegration by 2 physicians via interpreters. RESULTS: The majority of participants (43%) thought their fistulae were a result of trauma from the operative delivery. Lack of financial resources (49%) was the most commonly reported obstacle to care, and prenatal care (38%) was most frequently reported as an intervention that may prevent obstetric fistulae. The majority (49%) of the participants requested no further reintegration assistance aside from surgery. CONCLUSION: Accessible emergency obstetric care is necessary to decrease the burden of obstetric fistulae in Africa. This may be accomplished through increased and improved health care facilities and education of providers and patients.