Recent developments in pelvic organ prolapse

Pelvic organ prolapse is a common worldwide problem. Recent advances in our understanding of its pathophysiology, along with progress made in the eval uation and treatment of pelvic support defects, are discussed. Although the pathophysiology of this condition is still not completely understood, gene tic factors and environmental factors are involved. Understanding these fac tors better will help us to approach treatment of pelvic organ prolapse in a more logical manner. Multiple surgical techniques are available for pelvi c relaxation, with a wide range of success rates ranging from 77 to 97% for various procedures. New techniques need to be studied further before being incorporated into routine practice. Better standardization of evaluation m ethods can help in such clinical studies. (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wi lkins.