Biomedical subjects

Holly E Richter

Publications and source records attributed to Holly E Richter.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Prevention of obstetric urogenital fistulae: some thoughts on a daunting task.

Significant obstetric-related pelvic floor injury is still all too common in many areas of the world. Vesicovaginal fistula formation typically results from obstructed labor in the setting of limited medical resources for the patient. Many people have dedicated their time and even their lives to repairing these types of pelvic floor injuries, which certainly can impact in a positive way on the quality of life of these suffering women. However, it is time to consistently combine surgical repair initiatives with education, training, and prevention strategies, as well as outcomes research in order to improve on these efforts. It is only through committed initiatives with all of these elements that we may be able to ultimately decrease the prevalence of these types of pelvic floor sequelae.

Africa↗

PubMed2006

The sensitivity and specificity of a simple test to distinguish between urge and stress urinary incontinence.

BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence is common in women. Because treatments differ, urge incontinence should be distinguished from stress incontinence. To make this distinction, current guidelines recommend an extensive evaluation that is too time-consuming for primary care practice. OBJECTIVE: To test the accuracy of a simple questionnaire to categorize type of urinary incontinence in women. DESIGN: Multicenter, prospective study of the accuracy of the 3 Incontinence Questions (3IQ) compared with an extended evaluation to distinguish between urge incontinence and stress incontinence. SETTING: 5 academic medical centers in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: 301 women enrolled from April to December 2004 who were older than 40 years of age (mean age, 56 years [SD, 11]) with untreated incontinence for an average of 7 years (SD, 7) and a broad range of incontinence severity. MEASUREMENTS: All participants included in the analyses answered the 3IQ questionnaire, and a urologist or urogynecologist who was blinded to the responses performed the extended evaluation. Sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios were determined for the 3IQ. RESULTS: For classification of urge incontinence and with the extended evaluation as the gold standard, the 3IQ had a sensitivity of 0.75 (95% CI, 0.68 to 0.81), a specificity of 0.77 (CI, 0.69 to 0.84), and a positive likelihood ratio of 3.29 (CI, 2.39 to 4.51). For classification of stress incontinence, the sensitivity was 0.86 (CI, 0.79 to 0.90), the specificity was 0.60 (CI, 0.51 to 0.68), and the positive likelihood ratio was 2.13 (CI, 1.71 to 2.66). LIMITATIONS: Participants were enrolled by urologists and urogynecologists at academic medical centers. CONCLUSIONS: The 3IQ questionnaire is a simple, quick, and noninvasive test with acceptable accuracy for classifying urge and stress incontinence and may be appropriate for use in primary care settings. Similar studies are needed in other populations. We also need a clinical trial comparing the outcomes of treatments based on the 3IQ and the extended evaluation.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Abdominal sacrocolpopexy with Burch colposuspension to reduce urinary stress incontinence.

BACKGROUND: We designed this trial to assess whether the addition of standardized Burch colposuspension to abdominal sacrocolpopexy for the treatment of pelvic-organ prolapse decreases postoperative stress urinary incontinence in women without preoperative symptoms of stress incontinence. METHODS: Women who did not report symptoms of stress incontinence and who chose to undergo sacrocolpopexy to treat prolapse were randomly assigned to concomitant Burch colposuspension or to no Burch colposuspension (control) and were evaluated in a blinded fashion three months after the surgery. The primary outcomes included measures of stress incontinence (symptoms, stress testing, or treatment) and measures of urge symptoms. Enrollment was stopped after the first interim analysis because of a significantly lower frequency of stress incontinence in the group that underwent the Burch colposuspension. RESULTS: Of 322 women who underwent randomization, 157 were assigned to Burch colposuspension and 165 to the control group. Three months after surgery, 33.6 percent of the women in the Burch group and 57.4 percent of the controls met one or more of the criteria for stress incontinence (P<0.001) [Corrected]. There was no significant difference between the Burch group and the control group in the frequency of urge incontinence (32.7 percent vs. 38.4 percent, P=0.48). After surgery, women in the control group were more likely to report bothersome symptoms of stress incontinence than those in the Burch group who had stress incontinence (24.5 percent vs. 6.1 percent, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In women without stress incontinence who are undergoing abdominal sacrocolpopexy for prolapse, Burch colposuspension significantly reduced postoperative symptoms of stress incontinence without increasing other lower urinary tract symptoms.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Global ratings of patient satisfaction and perceptions of improvement with treatment for urinary incontinence: validation of three global patient ratings.

AIMS: To test the validity of three patient global ratings, satisfaction, perception of improvement, and estimated percent improvement, for measuring outcomes of behavioral treatment for urinary incontinence. METHODS: This report is a secondary analysis of data from three randomized controlled trials testing behavioral interventions for incontinence. Participants were 359 community-dwelling women, aged 40-92 years, with stress, urge, or mixed urinary incontinence. All participants received an 8-week program of clinic-based or self-administered behavioral training. Subjective outcomes included a patient satisfaction question (PSQ), global perception of improvement (GPI), and estimated percent improvement (EPI). Convergent validity was tested by examining the relationship between each measure and reduction of incontinence (bladder diary), change on the incontinence impact questionnaire (IIQ), and desire for another treatment. Discriminant validity was explored by examining the relationship of the global ratings to five measures not expected to be related to outcome (age, race, BMI, education level, and change in perceived pain). RESULTS: All three patient global ratings were significantly associated with each other (P < 0.0001), with diary measures of reduction of incontinence episodes (P < 0.0001), and change in the IIQ (P < 0.005), and inversely associated with desire for another treatment (P < 0.0001). All three patient ratings were not significantly associated with age, race, BMI, education level, or change in perceived pain. CONCLUSION: Patient global ratings of satisfaction, perception of improvement, and estimated percent improvement have acceptable convergent and discriminant validity for measuring outcomes in studies of behavioral treatment for urinary incontinence.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Outcomes with porcine graft placement in the anterior vaginal compartment in patients who undergo high vaginal uterosacral suspension and cystocele repair.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to prospectively assess the cases of patients who had undergone a high uterosacral suspension and anterior repair with anterior compartment placement of porcine dermis graft. STUDY DESIGN: Thirty-six patients who underwent transvaginal high uterosacral suspension and cystocele repair with graft augmentation from June 2001 to July 2004 were identified from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Genitourinary Disorders database. Analysis included the pre- and postoperative Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification examinations and incontinence impact questionnaire-7/urogenital distress inventory-6. RESULTS: Mean Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification Ba improved from +3.3 +/- 2.2 cm to -0.6 +/- 1.7 cm (P < .01). Postoperative Ba was prolapse stage II or greater in 50% of subjects. Mean incontinence impact questionnaire-7 scores improved from 36.2 +/- 31.9 to 15.6 +/- 26.2 (P < .01), as did mean urogenital distress inventory-6 scores from 58.2 +/- 26.8 to 23.8 +/- 22.6 (P < .01). CONCLUSION: Significant improvements in Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification measures, urinary symptoms, and the impact of incontinence were seen after the operation. However, a significant proportion of patients had Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification stage II prolapse or greater, which made it unclear whether graft use confers a significant advantage.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Cesarean delivery on maternal request versus planned vaginal delivery: impact on development of pelvic organ prolapse.

Pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) (ie, pelvic organ prolapse, urinary and fecal incontinence) are prevalent and impact quality of life as well as our health care system. It has been estimated that the demand for health care related to PFDs will increase at twice the rate of the population itself. This speaks to the fact that PFDs are an important women's and public health issue, warranting studies aimed at their prevention.

Cesarean Section↗

PubMed2006

The "costs" of urinary incontinence for women.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate costs of routine care for female urinary incontinence, health-related quality of life, and willingness to pay for incontinence improvement. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study at 5 U.S. sites, 293 incontinent women quantified supplies, laundry, and dry cleaning specifically for incontinence. Costs were calculated by multiplying resources used by national resource costs and presented in 2005 United States dollars (2005). Health-related quality of life was estimated with the Health Utilities Index. Participants estimated willingness to pay for 25-100% improvement in incontinence. Potential predictors of these outcomes were examined using multivariable linear regression. RESULTS: Mean age was 56 +/- 11 years; participants were racially diverse and had a broad range of incontinence severity. Nearly 90% reported incontinence-related costs. Median weekly cost (25%, 75% interquartile range) increased from 0.37 dollars (0, 4 dollars) for slight to 10.98 dollars (4, 21 dollars) for very severe incontinence. Costs increased with incontinence severity (P < .001). Costs were 2.4-fold higher for African American compared with white women (P < .001) and 65% higher for women with urge compared with those having stress incontinence (P < .001). More frequent incontinence was associated with lower Health Utilities Index score (mean 0.90 +/- 0.11 for weekly and 0.81 +/- 0.21 for daily incontinence; P = .02). Women were willing to pay a mean of 70 dollars +/- 64 dollars per month for complete resolution of incontinence, and willingness to pay increased with income and greater expected benefit. CONCLUSION: Women with severe urinary incontinence pay 900 dollars annually for incontinence routine care, and incontinence is associated with a significant decrement in health-related quality of life. Effective incontinence treatment may decrease costs and improve quality of life. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

Risk factors for anal sphincter tear in multiparas.

OBJECTIVE: To assess maternal, newborn, and obstetric risk factors associated with anal sphincter tear in multiparous women. METHODS: This case-control study identified 18,779 multiparous vaginal deliveries from 1992 to 2004 from an obstetric automated record database at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Two hundred eighty-four patients were selected, 145 cases and 139 controls. Variables from the index pregnancy and prior pregnancies were analyzed, and multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to determine significant predictor variables for anal sphincter tear in multiparous women. RESULTS: One hundred forty-five multiparous women with no history of cesarean delivery sustained a sphincter tear. Multivariable logistic regression showed a significant association with episiotomy (odds ratio [OR] 16.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 7.7-34.4), shoulder dystocia (OR 7.9, CI 1.6-38), forceps delivery (OR 4.7, CI 2.0-11.2), and being married (OR 2.2, CI 1.1-4.6). A second exploratory model that included variables from previous pregnancies, showed that in addition to episiotomy (OR 34.6, CI 8.8-136), shoulder dystocia (OR 11.1, CI 1.3-95.2), forceps delivery (OR 6.1, CI 1.6-23.5), previous sphincter tear (OR 7.7, CI 1.2-48.7), and second stage of labor greater than 1 hour (OR 6.7, CI 1.1-42.5) were associated with tear. CONCLUSION: The strongest clinical risk factors for anal sphincter tear in multiparous women are episiotomy, shoulder dystocia, previous sphincter tear, prolonged second stage of labor, and forceps delivery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-2.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Fecal and urinary incontinence in primiparous women.

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively investigate the relationship between anal sphincter tears and postpartum fecal and urinary incontinence. METHODS: The Childbirth and Pelvic Symptoms study was a prospective cohort study performed by the Pelvic Floor Disorders Network to estimate the prevalence of postpartum fecal and urinary incontinence in primiparous women: 407 with clinically recognized anal sphincter tears during vaginal delivery, 390 without recognized sphincter tears (vaginal controls), and 124 delivered by cesarean before labor. Women were recruited postpartum while hospitalized and interviewed by telephone 6 weeks and 6 months postpartum. We assessed fecal and urinary incontinence symptoms using the Fecal Incontinence Severity Index and the Medical, Epidemiological, and Social Aspects of Aging Questionnaire, respectively. Odds ratios were adjusted for age, race, and clinical site. RESULTS: Compared with the vaginal control group, women in the sphincter tear cohort reported more fecal incontinence (6 weeks, 26.6% versus 11.2%; adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 2.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8-4.3; 6 months, 17.0% versus 8.2%; AOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2-3.2), more fecal urgency and flatal incontinence, and greater fecal incontinence severity at both times. Urinary incontinence prevalence did not differ between the sphincter tear and vaginal control groups. Six months postpartum, 22.9% of women delivered by cesarean reported urinary incontinence, whereas 7.6% reported fecal incontinence. CONCLUSION: Women with clinically recognized anal sphincter tears are more than twice as likely to report postpartum fecal incontinence than women without sphincter tears. Cesarean delivery before labor is not entirely protective against pelvic floor disorders. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-3.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Endoanal ultrasound findings and fecal incontinence symptoms in women with and without recognized anal sphincter tears.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate whether endoanal ultrasound findings are more prevalent in primiparous women with a history of anal sphincter tear than in women without this history and whether the findings are associated with fecal incontinence symptoms. METHODS: A total of 251 primiparous women at seven clinical sites underwent standardized ultrasound assessment of the internal and external anal sphincter 6-12 months after delivery. Participants were women in the three cohorts of the Childbirth and Pelvic Symptoms Study: 1) women with clinically evident third- or fourth-degree tear at vaginal delivery (n=106); 2) no tear at vaginal delivery (n=106); and 3) cesarean delivery without labor (n=39). Women completed the Fecal Incontinence Severity Index to assess fecal incontinence symptoms. RESULTS: Thirty-five percent of the sphincter tear group exhibited internal sphincter gaps compared with 3% of vaginal controls (odds ratio [OR] 18.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.5-62.1) and 10% of cesarean controls. External sphincter gaps were identified in 51% of the tear group compared with 31% of vaginal controls (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.3-4.0) and 28% of cesarean controls. In the tear group, fecal incontinence severity was greater in those with internal sphincter gaps compared with those with no internal sphincter gaps (Fecal Incontinence Severity Index score 6.6+/-8.3 compared with 3.3+/-6.1, P=.02), as well as in those with external sphincter gaps (6.1+/-8.4 compared with 2.7+/-5.0, P=.01), and greatest in those with both internal and external sphincter gaps compared with at least one gap not present (7.2+/-8.1 compared with 3.4+/-6.4, P=.003). CONCLUSION: Anal sphincter gaps detected by ultrasonography are prevalent in postpartum primiparous women with a history of sphincter tear and are associated with fecal incontinence severity. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II-2.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Variability of bacterial vaginosis over 6- to 12-month intervals.

OBJECTIVES: To examine variability in bacterial vaginosis (BV) over 6- to 12-month intervals. STUDY DESIGN: One thousand one hundred ninety-three women were followed for a median of 3 years with serial vaginal swab Gram stains for BV. Discrete time hazard models were fit to identify independent risk factors for BV. RESULTS: Women with BV at study entry were categorized as having normal flora at the next visit 20% of the time, and women with normal flora at study entry were categorized as having BV at the next visit 20% of the time. Among women with initially normal flora, factors associated with BV were black race, lower education, a history of BV, a history of chlamydial/gonococcal cervicitis, and lack of monogamy. CONCLUSION: About one fifth of women with normal flora develop BV over a given 6- to 12-month interval, and the modifiable risk factors of cervicitis and lack of monogamy contribute to the development of BV.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

A multicentered comparison of measurements obtained with microtip and external water pressure transducers.

This study compared simultaneous intravesical pressure readings obtained with catheter-mounted microtip transducers and external water pressure transducer catheters during filling cystometry. Women undergoing multichannel urodynamic testing were randomly assigned to one of three groups: two microtip catheters, two external water pressure transducer catheters, or one of each type. Intravesical pressure was measured simultaneously for each transducer combination in each subject for minimal and maximal Valsalva effort and minimal, moderate, and maximal cough effort at two sequential bladder volumes (150 and 300 ml). Paired t tests were used to compare the means of the intravesical pressure obtained by the two types of catheters. The largest mean differences were observed when comparing microtip and water pressure transducers. Correlations of maximum pressure were consistently high between two microtip transducers and two water pressure transducers but lower for the microtip-water combination. Excellent reproducibility was demonstrated with transducers of similar types for intravesical pressures recorded during Valsalva and cough in women without prolapse. However, considerable variability was seen in pressures recorded by different transducers, particularly dependent on the water catheter manufacturer, indicating that intravesical pressure recordings from microtip and water-based systems are not interchangeable.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

A cluster analysis of bacterial vaginosis-associated microflora and pelvic inflammatory disease.

Controversy surrounds the association between bacterial vaginosis (BV) and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Women (N = 1,140) were ascertained at five US centers, enrolled (1999-2001), and followed up for a median of 3 years. Serial vaginal swabs were obtained for Gram's stain and cultures. PID was defined as 1) histologic endometritis or 2) pelvic pain and tenderness plus oral temperature >38.8 degrees C, leukorrhea or mucopus, erythrocyte sedimentation rate >15 mm/hour, white blood cell count >10,000, or gonococcal/chlamydial lower genital infection. Exploratory factor analysis identified two discrete clusters of genital microorganisms. The first correlated with BV by Gram's stain and consisted of the absence of hydrogen peroxide-producing lactobacillus, Gardnerella vaginalis, Mycoplasma hominis, anaerobic gram-negative rods, and, to a lesser degree, Ureaplasma urealyticum. The second, unrelated to BV by Gram's stain, consisted of Enterococcus species and Escherichia coli. Being in the highest tertile in terms of growth of BV-associated microorganisms increased PID risk (adjusted rate ratio = 2.03, 95% confidence interval: 1.16, 3.53). Carriage of non-BV-associated microorganisms did not increase PID risk. Women with heavy growth of BV-associated microorganisms and a new sexual partner appeared to be at particularly high risk (adjusted rate ratio = 8.77, 95% confidence interval: 1.11, 69.2). When identified by microbial culture, a combination of BV-related microorganisms significantly elevated the risk of acquiring PID.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Colpocleisis: a review.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize published data about colpocleisis and to highlight areas about which data are lacking. DATA SOURCES: We conducted a literature search on Medline using Ovid and PubMed, from 1966 to January 2004, using search terms "colpocleisis", "colpectomy", "vaginectomy", "pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and surgery", and "vaginal vault prolapse and surgery" and included articles with English-language abstracts. We examined reference lists of published articles to identify other articles not found on the electronic search. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: We examined all studies identified in our search that provided any outcome data on colpocleisis. Because of the heterogeneity of outcome measures and follow-up intervals in case series, we did not apply meta-analytic techniques to the data. RESULTS: Colpocleisis for POP is apparently successful in nearly 100% of patients in recent series. The rate of reoperation for stress incontinence or POP after colpocleisis is unknown. Concomitant elective hysterectomy is associated with increased blood loss and length of hospital stay, without known improvement in outcomes. Few studies systematically assess pelvic symptoms. The role of preoperative urodynamic testing to direct optimal management of urinary incontinence and retention remains to be established in this setting. CONCLUSIONS: Colpocleisis is an effective procedure for treatment of advanced POP in patients who no longer desire preservation of coital function. Complications are relatively common in this group of elderly patients. Prospective trials are needed to understand the impact of colpocleisis on functional outcomes and patient satisfaction.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2005

Douching, pelvic inflammatory disease, and incident gonococcal and chlamydial genital infection in a cohort of high-risk women.

Douching has been linked to gonococcal or chlamydial cervicitis and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in retrospective studies. The authors conducted a 1999-2004 prospective observational study of 1,199 US women who were at high risk of acquiring chlamydia and were followed for up to 4 years. Cervical Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis were detected from vaginal swabs by nucleic acid amplification. PID was characterized by histologic endometritis or pelvic pain and tenderness plus one of the following: oral temperature >38.3 degrees C, leukorrhea or mucopus, erythrocyte sedimentation rate >15 mm/hour, white blood cell count >10,000, or gonococcal/chlamydial lower genital tract infection. Associations between douching and PID or gonococcal/chlamydial genital infections were assessed by proportional hazards models. The 4-year incidence rate of PID was 10.9% and of gonococcal and/or chlamydial cervicitis was 21.9%. After adjustment for confounding factors, douching two or more times per month at baseline was associated with neither PID (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.76, 95% confidence interval: 0.42, 1.38) nor gonococcal/chlamydial genital infection (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.16, 95% confidence interval: 0.76, 1.78). Frequency of douching immediately preceding PID or gonococcal/chlamydial genital infection was not different between women who developed versus did not develop outcomes. These data do not support an association between douching and development of PID or gonococcal/chlamydial genital infection among predominantly young, African-American women.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Anal incontinence in women presenting for gynecologic care: prevalence, risk factors, and impact upon quality of life.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence and impact upon quality of life of anal incontinence (AI) in women aged 18 to 65. STUDY DESIGN: Consecutive women presenting for general gynecologic care were given a bowel function questionnaire. Women with AI were prompted to complete the Fecal Incontinence Severity Index (FISI) and Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale (FIQL). RESULTS: The cohort was composed of 457 women with a mean age of 39.9 +/- 11 years. AI prevalence was 28.4% (95% CI 24.4-32.8). After logistic regression, IBS (OR 3.22, 1.75-5.93), constipation (OR 2.11, 1.22-3.63), age (OR 1.05, 1.03-1.07), and BMI (OR 1.04, 1.01-1.08) remained significant risk factors. The mean FISI score was 20.4 +/- 12.4. Women with only flatal incontinence scored higher, and women with liquid loss scored lower on all 4 scales of the FIQL. CONCLUSION: AI is prevalent in women seeking benign gynecologic care, and liquid stool incontinence has the greatest impact upon quality of life.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Regret, satisfaction, and symptom improvement: analysis of the impact of partial colpocleisis for the management of severe pelvic organ prolapse.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess a cohort of patients who underwent a colpocleisis procedure more than 1 year post operation to determine: 1) the proportion of patients who regretted having the procedure, 2) patient satisfaction with the procedure, and 3) changes in symptom severity after surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Using the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Genitourinary Disorders Center database, a prospective analysis was performed on 54 patients who underwent colpocleisis between August 1996 and April 2003. From August to October of 2004, participants were contacted by an investigator not involved with the surgery and were asked 1) "do you regret having your surgery, and, if so, why?," 2) "how satisfied are you with your progress (completely, somewhat, or not)?," and 3) to repeat the short form Incontinence Impact Questionnaire/Urogenital Distress Inventory (IIQ-7/UDI-6). RESULTS: Fifty-nine percent (32/54) of potential candidates participated in the study. Nine percent (3/32) of patients regretted having colpocleisis performed. Fifty-seven percent (16/28) were completely satisfied, 29% (8/28) somewhat satisfied, and 14% (4/28) not satisfied. Mean IIQ score improved significantly from 40.9 (+/-31.7) at baseline to 14.1 (+/-26.7) at last interview (P = .003). Mean UDI score improved significantly from 63.1 (+/-24.3) at baseline to 24.2 (+/-26.7) at last interview (P = .001). There was a negative correlation between change in UDI scores with time since procedure (r = -.397, P = .055) and age (r = -.435, P = .034). CONCLUSION: Few patients reported regret after partial colpocleisis. There was a high rate of patient satisfaction and significant symptom improvement more than a year post surgery. Stable but smaller improvements were reported with longer time from surgery and increasing age.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Factors associated with incontinence frequency in a surgical cohort of stress incontinent women.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with urinary incontinence severity at baseline in women undergoing surgery for stress incontinence. STUDY DESIGN: Baseline data were obtained from 650 women (age 28 to 81 years) with stress incontinence participating in a randomized surgical trial. Severity of incontinence was defined by the mean number of incontinence episodes per day recorded in a 3-day bladder diary. The relationships between severity and several baseline variables were examined, including demographics, medical, obstetric, and gynecologic history, body mass index, smoking status, Q-tip displacement, and Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification stage (POP-Q). RESULTS: In a multivariable model, severity of incontinence was positively associated with body mass index (P = .0003) and current smoking (P = .01), and negatively associated with prolapse stage (P < .0001) and Q-tip displacement (P = .042). CONCLUSION: Incontinence severity in a surgical population was independently associated with 2 modifiable factors, obesity and tobacco use, as well as pelvic support.

Adult↗