(Abstracted from Female Pelvic Med Reconstr Surg 2020;26:640–643) There is an increased risk of developing voiding dysfunction in patients with advanced pelvic organ prolapse (POP). An important component of evaluating these patients is assessment of postvoid residual (PVR) volumes.

Our results indicate that this technology provides similar measurements to those found in previous unembalmed cadaver studies. This technology offers a great opportunity to study anatomical relationships in a native undisturbed state.

INTRODUCTION: Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries (OASIS) occur in 2 to 19% of vaginal deliveries in the United States. Neonatal measurements such as birthweight above 4000g or neonatal head circumference above 37cm are known risk factors for 3rd and 4th degree perineal laceration. Unfortunately, these predictors are identified after the delivery and therefore have very limited practical impact. We hypothesized that fetal Head Circumference (HC) size assessed by ultrasound in pregnancy can aid in predicting Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries (OASIS). METHODS: Secondary analysis of a retrospective cohort study assessing pregnancies with OASIS between 2005 and 2016. Inclusion criteria for this secondary analysis were third trimester ultrasound head circumference measurements. Antenatal ultrasound Head Circumference (HC) assessment, maternal demographics and labor and delivery data were documented and compared. P less than .05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Of 2057 patients that had head circumference assessment, 121 (5.8%) had OASIS. In the unadjusted continuous analysis of the head circumference, an increase of 10% in the HC were associated with OASIS OR 1.12 (1.02-1.23) p=0.015. Although not statistically significant HC above the 90% appears to be associated with OASIS OR 3.37 (0.89-12.74) p=0.073. CONCLUSION: In our cohort, fetal head circumference percentile is associated with OASIS, specifically the larger the head circumference percentile, the greater the risk. Severe perineal lacerations significantly impact short and long term health outcomes such as perineal pain, dyspareunia, urinary and fecal incontinence. This piece of information might help clinicians antenatally during counseling of patients about the risk of OASIS and future implications of the injury.

Importance Following the recent expansion of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, this remote model of care in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery will likely remain and continue to evolve. Objective This study was conducted to assess patients’ perceptions of and willingness to participate in a synchronous telemedicine visit beyond the COVID-19 pandemic for women with pelvic floor disorders. Study Design We conducted a cross-sectional study of women who completed a synchronous telemedicine visit from March 16 through May 22, 2020, at a urogynecology practice in an academic medical center. An electronic survey was distributed to women after all telemedicine visits. Demographic data, visit type, and survey responses were analyzed. Results Two hundred two women received the survey, and 135 women completed it (response rate of 66.8%). The mean age of the respondents was 62.9 ± 16.4 years, and the 3 most common visit diagnoses were overactive bladder (43.7%), stress urinary incontinence (22.2%), and pelvic organ prolapse (21.4%). Most survey participants (88.9%) found that the quality of their telemedicine visits was better than expected, and 89.6% reported that they would like to continue telemedicine care. Our survey showed that 19.4% of women reported difficulty with technology. Conclusions We found that most women presenting for synchronous telemedicine urogynecology care had a positive visit experience and would continue to use telemedicine for their care. Further developmental work needs to be done on improving the ease of technology as well as availability of telemedicine in the care of women affected by pelvic floor disorders.