ABSTRACT

Objectives:

Pelvic floor disorders (PFD) consist in a series of anatomic-functional disfunctions involving different professional profiles and often requiring a multidisciplinary approach. The purpose of this survey is to identify how PFD are managed in Italian centers and what is the degree of integration between the various specialists involved.

Materials and Methods:

This survey was a retrospective, observational, multicenter census, among all colorectal surgeons and proctologists affiliated with the Italian Society of Colorectal Surgery (SICCR) who were contacted by email and invited to answer to a 12-item questionnaire on a voluntary basis.

Conclusion:

The multidisciplinary center of the pelvic floor represents the apex of a hierarchical organization for more complex cases in which the pelvic disease is thoroughly analyzed in a multidisciplinary way, with a full availability of diagnostic investigations and in which a series of standard and innovative treatments could be offered.

Results:

Thirty-seven surgeons from all over Italy answered to the survey. Only 14 (37.8%) stated that a dedicated pelvic floor center consisting of urologist, gynecologist and colorectal surgeon/proctologist was available in their hospital. Eighteen surgeons declared the availability of a pelvic rehabilitation center and the most performed rehabilitation modalities are biofeedback (BF) + electrostimulation (ES) + physiokinesitherapy (PFK). In 22 (59.4%) centers the complex surgical procedures can be performed simultaneously by the various specialists of the team even if only in half of these centers this occurs in a systematic manner and in dedicated operating sessions.