title: Use of a visual analog scale for evaluation of bother from pelvic organ prolapse.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A specified anatomical degree of prolapse may cause no bother in one individual and a severe form of bother in another. The aim of this study was to determine the factors contributing to the degree of bother due to a given degree of prolapse, to help with the clinical evaluation of patients and planning of preventive intervention trials and surgical treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive patient records of 654 women who had attended a urogynecology unit between August 2011 and December 2012 were reviewed. All patients underwent a standardized interview, clinical examination and four-dimensional translabial ultrasound scan. The degree of bother was evaluated using a visual analog scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six hundred and thirty-six women were included in the analysis, with ultrasound data available for cystocele, rectocele and enterocele descent and rectocele depth measurements and 442 for uterine descent. 313 women (49.2%) had subjective symptoms of female pelvic organ prolapse at a mean bother score of 6.0 ± 2.6. Average bother score for the complete dataset was 3.0 ± 3.5. Parity, vaginal delivery, levator avulsion, any significant clinical prolapse or prolapse seen on ultrasound were associated with prolapse bother and all clinical and ultrasound measures of pelvic organ descent remained significant or near significant on multivariate analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Quantification of prolapse bother using a visual analog scale is valid and repeatable and may represent a simple tool for use in clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Monash University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Melbourne, Australia; Medical University Graz, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Graz, Austria; Sydney Medical School Nepean, Nepean Hospital, Penrith, Australia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ulrich
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guzman Rojas
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Dietz
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Trutnovsky
mesh_terms: D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D056887:Pelvic Organ Prolapse / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000523:psychology; D064232:Visual Analog Scale
keywords: 4-dimensional translabial ultrasound; bother; pelvic organ prolapse; urogynecology; visual analog scales