Charles Rardin, MD, a urogynecologist in the Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery and director of the Robotic Surgery Program for Women at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, director of Minimally Invasive Surgery at Care New England, and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and team, were awarded Best Surgical Paper at the 36th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS) in mid-October in Seattle, WA.
Their study, entitled “Vaginal Uphold Hysteropexy and Laparoscopic Sacral Hysteropexy for Treatment of Uterovaginal Prolapse: A Parallel Cohort Study,” examined surgery methods that accommodate a woman’s wish to not have her uterus removed when the decision is made to surgically repair uterine prolapse. Traditionally, a hysterectomy is performed at the time of the repair. This study looked at two surgeries – known as hysteropexy procedures – done vaginally or laparoscopically; both of which use mesh to bolster the durability of the repair.
“The primary outcome of the paper, surgical success, did not show a difference between these procedures; both were very good at fixing the problem,” explained Dr. Rardin. “Complication rates were low in each group. The vaginal procedure was quicker, while the laparoscopic group had a greater improvement in sexual function.”
The study is one of the largest to investigate such procedures. Women & Infants specifically had the highest number of subjects recruited who had follow-up visits out of eight total facilities participating in the cohort study.
Additional presentations on behalf of Women & Infants at the Annual Meeting included:
- Annetta Madsen, MD; Christina Raker, MD; and Vivian Sung, MD, “Trends in uterine preservation and other surgical management of uterovaginal prolapse in the US between 2002-2012.” Oral poster.
- Christina Raker, MD; Nicole Korbly, MD; and Star Hampton, MD, “Evaluation of an interactive teaching session for third and fourth-degree perineal laceration repair with a group of Rwandan health care providers.” Poster presentation.
- Charles Rardin, MD, “How does a compliant air-filled intravesical balloon increase the abdominal pressure required to induce stress urinary incontinence (SUI) related leakage.”
- Sunil Shaw, PhD; Kyle Wohlrab, MD; and Charles Rardin, MD, “Reoperation for Recurrent Stress Urinary Incontinence Following Midurethral Sling Revision; A Retrospective Cohort Study.”
- Charles Rardin, MD, “Credentialing for Advanced Surgical Procedures.” Educational roundtable session.
- Vivian Sung, MD, “Responsiveness of a computerized-adaptive test for urinary incontinence symptoms.” Oral poster.
- Vivian Sung, MD, presented “Mentorship” as an invited panel speaker, AUGS Fellow’s Research Day; “Critical components to developing a research career in Urogynecology” AUGS roundtable speaker; and served as moderator for the AUGS Opening General Scientific Session.
About AUGS
The American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS), founded in 1979, is the premier non-profit organization representing more than 1,800 members including practicing physicians, nurse practitioners, physical therapists, nurses and health care professionals, as well as researchers from many disciplines, all dedicated to treating female pelvic floor disorders. As the leader in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, AUGS promotes the highest quality patient care through excellence in education, research and advocacy.
About Women & Infants Hospital
Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, a Care New England hospital, is one of the nation’s leading specialty hospitals for women and newborns. A major teaching affiliate of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University for obstetrics, gynecology and newborn pediatrics, as well as a number of specialized programs in women’s medicine, Women & Infants is the 9th largest stand-alone obstetrical service in the country and the largest in New England with approximately 8,500 deliveries per year. A
Designated Baby-Friendly® USA hospital, U.S.News & World Report 2014-15 Best Children’s Hospital in Neonatology and a 2014 Leapfrog Top Hospital, in 2009 Women & Infants opened what was at the time the country’s largest, single-family room neonatal intensive care unit.
Women & Infants and Brown offer fellowship programs in gynecologic oncology, maternal-fetal medicine, urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery, neonatal-perinatal medicine, pediatric and perinatal pathology, gynecologic pathology and cytopathology, and reproductive endocrinology and infertility. It is home to the nation’s first mother-baby perinatal psychiatric partial hospital, as well as the nation’s only fellowship program in obstetric medicine.
Women & Infants has been designated as a
Breast Imaging Center of Excellence by the American College of Radiography; a Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology; a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence by the
National Institutes of Health (NIH); and a Neonatal Resource Services Center of Excellence. It is one of the largest and most prestigious research facilities in high risk and normal obstetrics, gynecology and newborn pediatrics in the nation, and is a member of the National Cancer Institute’s
Gynecologic Oncology Group and the Pelvic Floor Disorders Network.