APPLY FOR NEW PISQ-IR WORKING GROUP

IUGA is seeking 4 member-volunteers to serve on a PISQ-IR Working Group (Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire – IUGA Revised). The PISQ-IR Working Group works with individuals/groups translating the PISQ-IR and is responsible for reviewing and providing feedback on translation/back-translation to ensure the original intention of the questions is not lost in the process of translation. Because each PISQ-IR translation can take multiple years to complete, Working Group members must be able to make a long-term commitment (3-year minimum/6 years preferred) and must have demonstrated test validation and/or translation experience.

Interested members should submit their CV and a statement of interest which outlines their experience with test validation and/or translations by Friday, December 7, 2018 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

With the recent publishing of our 3rd CME Course on the IUGA Academy, IUGA members now have the opportunity to earn 9 CME Credits - all in the field of urogynecology-  completely FREE of charge! Check out the most recent CME Course on Pelvic Floor Imaging by Clara Shek, Vivien Wong, Rodrigo Guzmán Rojas, Kamil Švabík, and Hans Peter Dietz today!

AMERICAN UROGYNECOLOGIC SOCIETY (AUGS) / INTERNATIONAL UROGYNECOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (IUGA) JOINT REPORT ON THE TERMINOLOGY FOR SURGICAL PROCEDURES TO TREAT PELVIC ORGAN PROLAPSE

AUGS and IUGA are looking for volunteers to help establish standardized terminology for commonly accepted surgeries for pelvic organ prolapse utilizing a collaboration of experts.  Both societies are soliciting applications from their members, who will work collaboratively to develop the terminology paper.  The resulting document will address voids in clinical practice and research and allow surgeons and scientists to better advance the field of FPMRS.

Background

Surgeries for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) are common. Despite this, many professionals find the terms describing different surgeries performed to correct POP confusing, heterogeneous, and difficult to explain to patients and other providers.  Even among experts in POP, terms regarding POP surgeries are often inconsistently used and rapidly evolving.  These issues lead to possible miscommunication, which limits patient care and research.

The aim of this document is to propose a standardized set of consistent and correct terms to describe common surgeries for POP repair.  The main document will cover standard terms in common surgical procedures for treatment of POP, guidelines for correct use of these surgical terms, and limitations of these terms.

The document will be developed using a collaborative process that requires regular communication via email, periodic conference calls, and completion of assignments.  The duration of the commitment is 18-24 months.

To learn more about this project, read the scoping document available by clicking here.

We are seeking members with the following skill set and/or interests:

• Practicing urogynecologist, urologist, or general obstetrician-gynecologist
• Clinical expertise in the surgical management of POP
• Knowledge and understanding of the scientific literature regarding the surgical management of POP
• Experience writing technical reports, reviews, or other scientific papers
• Commitment to teamwork, responsiveness, and dedication to complete assignments

Participation in terminology projects requires a fair amount of time and dedication from all involved in the joint writing group, but your commitment and involvement will help clarify understanding and standardize communication in our important field. We therefore look forward to receiving your application!

Applications

To apply, please follow these two steps:

1) Submit a letter of interest stating your qualifications for the position and a brief CV to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,

2) Complete the online COI form available by clicking here.

Applications are due by September 26, 2018.

Recent research has shown that elective salpingectomy reduces the risk of ovarian malignancy. Although this has been in practice for some time, there is a lack of specific literature about knowledge, attitudes, and practices of pelvic floor surgeons performing risk-reducing salpingectomy alongside vaginal hysterectomy. The IUGA Fellows Research Network asks that you complete their survey to help fill this knowledge void and provide information for pelvic floor surgeons. To complete the survey, click here.

We offer CME Courses to our members for FREE. Yes, that’s right- FREE!  IUGA members can now follow our second CME Course Surgical Management of POP with renowned experts Paul Moran, Stephen Jeffery, Catherine A. Matthews, Mark Walters, Abdalla Fayyad, and G. Willy Davila to earn 3.25 CME credits, completely FREE of charge! Check it out here.

IUGA membership is now more accessible to everyone, everywhere! Membership in IUGA, including access to all the e-learning opportunities on the IUGA Academy and an electronic subscription to the IUJ, is now FREE to doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and other allied health professionals in Low Income Countries.* For more information, click here

* as defined by the World Bank Classification

The IUGA Board is excited to announce the launch of a new IUGA program called “International Urogynecological Consultation”, IUC in short. The purpose of the IUC is to develop a series of IUGA Consensus Statements on Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP). To produce these consensus statements, the IUGA is bringing the world's most renowned experts together in a select number of IUC committees, who will each follow a rigorous consultation process with multiple reviews to ensure that the most up-to-date scientific evidence concerning POP is included.

Part of the development process is that IUGA will hold in-person 'consultation' sessions that are open to all IUGA Annual Meeting attendees at IUGA's Annual Meetings, which allows all attendees to discuss the committee's findings and provide input/feedback. The IUC committees will then work on a final manuscript that will be published in the International Urogynecology Journal (IUJ) and will form an invaluable resource to the urogynecological field.

This project has been designed to complement and not compete with the work that has been completed through existing programs or consultations including related publications, consensus statements, and guidelines on POP. To clarify our goals, IUC’s first stage will focus on defining the condition of POP and will include topics on the epidemiology/ pathophysiology of POP (including genetics to risk factors), clinical definition of the disease state and patients’ perceptions of disease burden and therapeutic success. In the following stages the IUC will cover POP treatment options and the evaluation of patients. The IUC aims to have the complete set of POP consensus statements ready by 2022.

A dedicated IUC steering committee is currently selecting the chairs of the IUC committees. Membership in the IUC committees will be open to all healthcare professionals and other experts in the field of Urogynecology and more specifically in POP through a call for applications that will be announced in October.

With this project, the IUGA aims to help transform evolving new data into knowledge, knowledge into recommendations, and recommendations into improved patient care for women with Pelvic Organ Prolapse, which is completely in line with our mission and vision to improve the lives of all women with pelvic floor disorders.

Did you know that, as an IUGA member, you have free and unrestricted access to the IUGA Academy? Log in with your new IUGA.org member log in details on https://academy.iuga.org/ and try it out today!

Dear Colleagues,

I am once again thrilled to share with you our newest edition of the 2018 IUGA Newsletter. In this issue, we share highlights of our Annual Meeting in the elegant city of Vienna. Please enjoy our highpoints and photo gallery!

DOWNLOAD PDF  READ ON ISSUU

In addition, Dr. Rebecca Rogers, IUJ Co-Editor-in-Chief, shares with us how the IUJ will be celebrating Peer Review Week as well as recognizing the Top 10 Editorial Board Members who have provided the most peer reviews this past year.

We continue to encourage everyone’s contribution to our upcoming newsletters. Please contact me or Missy Render (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) with any local news within your community that you would like to share with our IUGA membership. Thank you and enjoy!

Kind regards,

Debby Karp, MD, FACOG
IUGA Publications Committee Chair