E-Posters-10012

10012_Jacobson

Pdf Summary

This study aimed to characterize patients with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) who were managed with a pessary and evaluate factors associated with its long-term use or discontinuation. The study analyzed data from 100 consecutive patients treated with a pessary between January 2015 and August 2016.<br /><br />The results showed that 32% of patients who were fitted for a pessary eventually discontinued its use. The most common reason for discontinuation was discomfort. Among the patients who used local low dose estrogen, 47% had some degree of vaginal erosion, indicating a potential adverse effect of this treatment.<br /><br />The study found that 80% of pessary users reported improvement in their most bothersome symptom upon initiation of treatment. Long-term users, defined as using a pessary for more than one year, comprised 56% of the population. The mean age for long-term users was 66 years old, compared to a mean of 61 years old for those using a pessary for less than a year. This suggests an association between age and long-term pessary use.<br /><br />Erosions from the pessary were seen in 26% of patients, but only 9% required a pessary-free period for healing. Among those who developed an erosion, 92% were long-term users.<br /><br />Overall, this study provides further validation that pessaries are safe and effective tools for managing POP. It also highlights the importance of addressing discomfort and monitoring for erosions in long-term pessary users.

Keywords

pelvic organ prolapse

pessary

long-term use

discontinuation

discomfort

low dose estrogen

vaginal erosion

improvement

age

erosions