title: The effect of episiotomy on pelvic organ prolapse assessed by pelvic organ prolapse quantification system.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to assess the association between episiotomy and measures of pelvic organ prolapse quantification system (POP-Q) in a cohort of women with vaginal parturition.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was conducted with 549 eligible patients with vaginal delivery history. Women who were pregnant, gave birth within the preceding 6 months period, had a known history of pre-pregnant prolapse, had a history of hysterectomy or any operation performed for pelvic organ prolapsus and stress urinary incontinence, refused to participate and to whom POP-Q examination could not be performed (due to anatomic or orthopedic problems) were excluded. Patients were categorized as women with episiotomy and without episiotomy. The degree of genital prolapse was assessed by using POP-Q system. The effect of episiotomy on overall POP-Q stage and individual POP-Q points was calculated with logistic regression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  439 patients had a history of episiotomy whereas 110 patients had no episiotomy. 38.2% of women without an episiotomy, and 32.0% of women with episiotomy had genital prolapse determined by POP-Q system. There was no statistically significant association between episiotomy and POP-Q stage (AOR, -0.24; 95% CI, -0.65-0.18, P=0.26). Episiotomy was found among the independent predictors for certain POP-Q points such as Bp, perineal body (pb) and total vaginal length (tvl). Episiotomy was negatively correlated with prolapse of Bp and with pb and tvl.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Episiotomy had an effect on certain POP-Q indices, but had no influence on overall POP-Q stage.
authors: Mersin University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mersin, Turkey. Electronic address: drhakanaytan@yahoo.com.
authors: Hakan
authors: H
authors: Aytan
authors: Mersin University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mersin, Turkey.
authors: Ekrem C
authors: EC
authors: Tok
authors: Mersin University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mersin, Turkey.
authors: Devrim
authors: D
authors: Ertunc
authors: Mersin University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mersin, Turkey.
authors: Osman
authors: O
authors: Yasa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D004841:Episiotomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000601:surgery*; D056887:Pelvic Organ Prolapse / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: Episiotomy; Pelvic organ prolapse; Pelvic organ prolapse quantification