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Impact of Frailty on the Treatment of Pelvic Floor Disorders

  • Reconstructed Bladder Function & Dysfunction (M Kaufman, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Frailty is highly prevalent with increasing age and contributes to adverse health outcomes. Prior to medical and surgical intervention for the treatment of pelvic floor disorders (PFD), a comprehensive evaluation is necessary to evaluate frailty. Beyond a standard assessment, the care of frail patients requires consideration of additional factors including functional ability, cognitive impairment, and the role of caregivers. In this article, we review the current literature on PFD, specifically urinary and fecal incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, in frail individuals and highlight the risks and benefits of various treatment options.

Recent Findings

Multiple tools are available to screen and assess for frailty in the general population. Growing evidence demonstrates that the development of functional limitations is the initial manifestation of frailty and may further translate to an increased risk of surgical complications.

Summary

No standardized method for screening and measurement of frailty currently exists. Independent of the individual assessment metric to measure frailty, there is an associated increased risk of adverse events related to treatments. Management of PFD in the frail population requires a tailored approach and necessitates consideration beyond objective data to the subjective, cognitive, and quality of life implications of treatment.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd. MS 3016, Kansas City, KS, 66160, USA

    Sida Niu, Tomas L Griebling & Casey G Kowalik

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  1. Sida Niu
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  2. Tomas L Griebling
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  3. Casey G Kowalik
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Correspondence to Sida Niu.

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Dr. Sida Niu, Dr. Tomas Griebling, and Dr. Casey Kowalik declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Niu, S., Griebling, T.L. & Kowalik, C.G. Impact of Frailty on the Treatment of Pelvic Floor Disorders. Curr Bladder Dysfunct Rep 15, 121–126 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11884-020-00590-4

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