Research Projects Currently underway at the Centre for Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery, Sydney Adventist Hospital

Introduction

A number research projects are in progress or in planning at Sydney Adventist Hospital. The following projects have been approved by the Ethics Committee:

Miniaturo™-I Device For Interstitial Cystitis

Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic pelvic pain syndrome, for which the cause is unknown. Symptoms may include mild discomfort, pressure, tenderness, or intense pain in the bladder and surrounding pelvic area (pain), frequent need to pass urine during the day and night time (frequency), urgent need to urinate (urgency), or a combination of these symptoms. Pain may change as the bladder fills with urine or as it empties. In addition, people with IC often experience pain during sexual intercourse. IC can affect people of any age or sex, although it is most commonly found in women.
In IC, the bladder wall may be irritated and become scarred or stiff. Pinpoint bleeding may appear on the bladder wall. Some people with IC find that their bladders cannot hold much urine, which increases the number of times they pass urine. Frequency, however, is not always related to bladder size; many people with severe frequency have normal bladders. People with severe cases of IC may urinate as many as 60 times a day.

     *  Patient information regarding the Miniaturo™-I Device  Trial

 

Prospective Evaluation if the Midline IVS Procedure

Urinary Stress incontinence is a common condition which causes a significant impact on quality of life for many women. A large number of treatment options have been developed over the years and these different procedures involve various surgical approaches.

 

The Midline IVS procedure is a sub urethral sling procedure. It is derived from the original research of Professor Petros in Perth, Western Australia.

 

The efficacy of the intravaginal sling procedure and similar similar sling procedures has already been documented. This study is aims to investigate the efficacy and safety outcomes in patients who have undergone a simplified midline intravaginal slingplasty procedure using a multifilament polypropylene tape. Improvements in surgical technique over the last five years are thought to have resulted in improved outcomes and decreased complications. This study aims to document this improvement.

Retrospective Evaluation of Prolapse Surgery

Patients with prolapse may present with symptoms of pressure, dragging, vaginal discomfort or symptoms of bladder, bowel or sexual dysfunction. Mesh has been used for repair of prolapse in patients who have suffered recurrent prolapse or have been assessed to have a severe connective tissue weakness.  The justification for using mesh in recurrent prolapse is that patients who undergo traditional repair surgery have a high risk of failure with over 30% needing another procedure (Olsen, 1997). The side-effects and complications of using mesh in vaginal surgery relate to the problems of mesh, rejection, infection and erosion in addition to the traditional side-effects and complications of surgery. The complications and problems of traditional surgery relate to recurrent failure, distortion of the anatomy, scaring and shrinkage of the vagina and loss of bladder or bowel function.

 

This study is designed to assess the safety and efficacy of various repair techniques undertaken at Sydney Adventist Hospital by surgeons working at the Centre for Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery.

 


 

© CMS 2004