title: Racial characteristics of women undergoing surgery for pelvic organ prolapse in the United States.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was undertaken to compare the prevalence, demographics, and complications of pelvic organ prolapse surgery across races in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the 2003 National Census and the 2003 National Hospital Discharge Survey were used to determine rates of prolapse surgery, demographic characteristics, morbidity, and mortality across races.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2003, 199,698 women underwent prolapse surgery. Rates of prolapse surgery per 10,000 women were 14.8, 5.6, and 8.7 in women of white, black, and other races. By geographic region, surgical rates per 10,000 white vs black women differed most in the West (16.0 vs 0.8). Of black women, 27% were on public assistance, compared with 5.9% and 9.6% women of white and other races. Complications occurred in 19.4%, 34.1%, and 27.4% of women of white, black, other races. Mortality was uncommon for all races.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Racial disparities between white and black women undergoing prolapse surgery appear to exist.
authors.affiliation: Division of Urogynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Aparna D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Neeraj
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kohli
authors.forename: Sujatha S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Rajan
authors.forename: Lennox
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hoyte
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D044383:Black People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D013519:Urogenital Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014596:Uterine Prolapse / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000601:surgery; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001741:Black or African American