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Study Finds Physical Therapy Beneficial after Pelvic Surgery

Although women who had undergone pelvic surgery for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) may have experienced substantial relief from their conditions, it has been reported that postoperative urinary symptoms were quite common. This has caused some concern from both patients and healthcare providers. It has been reported that this issue may be effectively addressed through physical therapy, according to the results of a study that was presented during the annual meeting of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopitsts in San Francisco, California.

Study by Physiotherapists from Royal Hospital for Women

Led by Sharon Jarvis, a senior pelvic floor physiotherapist, a team of researchers from the Royal Hospital for Women in Sydney, Australia carried out a study with the objective of determining whether pelvic floor muscle exercises could result to the reduction of postoperative symptoms. In addition, the researchers wanted to find out if physical therapy would reduce the straining required when voiding or defecating.

For this clinical trial, researchers recruited 60 women who had undergone pelvic surgery and divided into two groups. One group composed of 30 women was given physical therapy while the other team served as control group. Postoperative physical therapy included pelvic floor muscle exercises intended to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles.

Huge Improvements Reported by Women after Physical Therapy

At the conclusion of the 12-week study period, the research team was able to determine that women who had postoperative physical therapy experienced significant improvements in their urinary symptoms compared to those who had not intervention. This positive outcome extended to the crucial area of quality of life where there was a very huge margin in the results.

Benefits of Physical Therapy Includes Pelvic Floor Disorders

The outcome of this study is very significant in that it provides a solution to the problems faced by women who had just undergone surgical procedures for their pelvic floor disorders. As proven by the results of this clinical trial, women who were into physical therapy experienced reduced postoperative urinary symptoms and at the same time reduced the straining involved when voiding and defecating, all of which translated to an improved quality of life.

Based on these encouraging results, the lead researcher suggested that for better postoperative outcomes, women planning to undergo pelvic surgeries may have better outcomes if given physical therapy prior to the procedure. This may actually make sense since previous studies have clearly shown that physical therapy, in the form of pelvic floor muscle exercises, have improved the conditions of women suffering from pelvic floor disorders such as POP and SUI.