Surgical Management of Pelvic Floor Disorders

Surgical management of pelvic floor disorders encompasses a spectrum of procedures aimed at restoring normal anatomy, alleviating symptoms and improving quality of life for women with pelvic organ prolapse, vault prolapse and related conditions. Native tissue repairs, augmented by synthetic or biological grafts, remain central to reconstructive approaches, while minimally invasive techniques—laparoscopic, robotic and transvaginal—have expanded options for suspension and reinforcement. Key goals include durable restoration of organ support, minimisation of recurrence and avoidance of mesh-related complications. Patient selection is informed by prolapse stage, comorbidities and functional outcomes, with interdisciplinary teams integrating urogynecology, colorectal surgery and pelvic physiotherapy. Advances in imaging, pelvic floor biomechanics and mesh design continue to refine operative planning. Ongoing evaluation of long-term outcomes and patient-reported measures ensures that emerging techniques are both effective and safe, aligning surgical innovation with the priorities of those affected by pelvic floor dysfunction.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Surgical Management of Pelvic Floor Disorders publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in surgical management of pelvic floor disorders across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Pelvic organ prolapse: Descent of one or more pelvic organs into or through the vaginal canal due to weakening of supportive structures.

Sacrocolpopexy: Surgical fixation of the vaginal vault or cervix to the sacral promontory, usually using a synthetic mesh graft.

Transvaginal mesh augmentation: Placement of synthetic mesh via the vaginal route to reinforce native tissue repairs in prolapse surgery.

Sacrospinous fixation: Suspension of the vaginal apex or cervix to the sacrospinous ligament through a transvaginal approach for vault prolapse repair.

Laparoscopic surgery: Minimally invasive surgery performed through small abdominal incisions using a camera and specialised instruments.

References

1. Mesh, graft, or standard repair for women having primary transvaginal anterior or posterior compartment prolapse surgery: two parallel-group, multicentre, randomised, controlled trials (PROSPECT). The Lancet (2016).
2. Laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy compared with open abdominal sacrocolpopexy for vault prolapse repair: a randomised controlled trial. International Urogynecology Journal (2017).
3. Transvaginal Bilateral Sacrospinous Fixation after Second Recurrence of Vaginal Vault Prolapse: Efficacy and Impact on Quality of Life and Sexuality. BioMed Research International (2018).