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BMC Women's Health
Published in: BMC Women's Health 1/2011

Open Access 01-12-2011 | Research article

Impact of episiotomy on pelvic floor disorders and their influence on women's wellness after the sixth month postpartum: a retrospective study

Authors: Serena Bertozzi, Ambrogio P Londero, Arrigo Fruscalzo, Lorenza Driul, Cristina Delneri, Angelo Calcagno, Paolo Di Benedetto, Diego Marchesoni

Published in: BMC Women's Health | Issue 1/2011

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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.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Impact of episiotomy on pelvic floor disorders and their influence on women's wellness after the sixth month postpartum: a retrospective study
Authors
Serena Bertozzi
Ambrogio P Londero
Arrigo Fruscalzo
Lorenza Driul
Cristina Delneri
Angelo Calcagno
Paolo Di Benedetto
Diego Marchesoni
Publication date
01-12-2011
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Women's Health / Issue 1/2011
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6874
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6874-11-12

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