What can urogynaecologics expect at an ICS meeting? Read the review of ICS 2016 by Edward Stanford.
This brief summary will highlight key topics and research presented at the annual ICS meeting and opinion on future trends and research opportunities from a urogynaecologic perspective.
Nothing has impacted female pelvic medicine more than the 2008 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rulings reclassifying vaginal mesh for pelvic organ support and urinary incontinence surgeries. Although some research continues, urogynaecologic practice patterns and research interests worldwide have generally shifted away from the use of pelvic floor synthetic mesh devices particularly in developed countries. At least for now, Scotland has banned the use of synthetic slings. An expert panel held a symposium at Tokyo ICS presenting and discussing recent evidence related to the diagnosis and management of pelvic mesh related complications. Their conclusions give a good indication of the current and future trends in pelvic floor support surgery. The panel summarised international research supporting the continued use of mesh abdominal sacrocolpopexy (ASC) based on level 1 evidence despite it being a complex surgical procedure performed by few qualified surgeons with a known potential for mesh extrusion and pelvic organ related injury. The panel presented that the efficacy and safety of the robotic sacrocolpopexy approach appears as effective as the ASC but is still under investigation. These presenters also concluded that there may be a limited and yet to be defined role for mesh in supporting the anterior compartment but not the posterior compartment.
Several other areas of original research presented at the Tokyo ICS illustrate the scientific and clinical trends in female pelvic medicine and surgery in 2016/17*:
- Neuromodulation
- Pharmacologic/Metabolic
- Infections
- Pelvic floor surgical and basic science research
- Urodynamics
- Lifestyle/biofeedback
- Comorbid and concomitant disorders
- Questionnaires/Population-based surveys
*Download the full report.
Hopefully, this brief summary of the 2016 Tokyo ICS meeting gives an idea of the excellent efforts of international researchers interested in pelvic medicine and surgery and trends and interest for the future.
I invite you to join me at ICS 2017 in Florence, which will undeniably be an unequalled scientific meeting. The ICS is a multidisciplinary association pertaining to the highest scientific standards and bringing a spectrum of the very best incontinence and pelvic floor disorder research from basic science to large clinical trials.