title: Impact of episiotomy on pelvic floor disorders and their influence on women's wellness after the sixth month postpartum: a retrospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The role of episiotomy as a protective factor against pelvic floor disorders postpartum has been debated for many years, but its routine use has been hitherto discouraged in the literature. Comparisons between restrictive and routine use of episiotomy in existent literature, however, fail to include any consideration relating to quality of life. The aim of this study, therefore, is to state the role of episiotomy in preserving the perineum from damage, in order to prevent the influence of pelvic floor disorders on women's psycho-physical wellness after the sixth month postpartum.
  
  
  METHODS
  A follow-up telephone interview was performed among 377 primiparous and secondiparous Caucasian women who had a child by spontaneous or operative vaginal delivery in 2006 using a self-created questionnaire and King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age at delivery was 35.26 (±4.68) years and episiotomy was performed in 59.2% of women. Multivariate linear regression shows episiotomy associated to higher quality of life after the sixth month postpartum by correlating with inferior values of King's Health Questionnaire (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Episiotomy appears to be a protective factor for women's wellness. Women who had episiotomy and who experienced perineal symptoms have a better psycho-physical health status in the 12.79 months (±3.3) follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Surgical Semeiotics, AOU “SM della Misericordia” of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bertozzi
authors.forename: Ambrogio P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Londero
authors.forename: Arrigo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fruscalzo
authors.forename: Lorenza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Driul
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Delneri
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Calcagno
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Benedetto
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marchesoni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004414:Dyspareunia / Q000209:etiology; D004841:Episiotomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010502:Perineum / Q000293:injuries* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000209:etiology; D053202:Urinary Incontinence, Urge / Q000209:etiology; D016387:Women's Health