Gynecology General Gynecology

Postpartum pelvic floor dysfunction Wikipedia

Pelvic floor dysfunction is a syndrome|group of clinical conditions
that includes urinary incontinence, anal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse,
sensory and emptying abnormalities of the lower urinary tract, defecation|defecatory
dysfunction, sexual dysfunction and several chronic pain syndromes, including
vulvodynia. The three most common and definable conditions encountered
clinically are urinary incontinence, anal incontinence and pelvic organ
prolapse.

It is estimated that at least one-third of woman|adult women are affected
by at least one of these conditions. Furthermore, statistics show that 30 to
40 percent of women suffer from some degree of incontinence in their lifetime,
and that almost 10 percent of women will undergo surgery for urinary
incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse. 30 percent of those
undergoing surgery will have at least two surgeries in trying to correct the
problem.

With the steady increase in aged population in many countries, combined with the general superior longetivity of women, means that the cost burden related to pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) is enormous in
terms of lost productivity, decreased quality of life and direct health care
costs.

Last Modified:   2005-12-19