The IUGA Virtual 45th Annual Meeting begins in just a few hours!

Whether you’ve registered for the meeting or not,  join us at 2:15PM CEST for the Presidential Lecture – it’s open access!  To find out what time it is for you, click here.

We hope to see you there!

The September issue of the International Urogynecology Journal is now available! Don't miss out on the latest news and research in the international field of urogynecology!

Click here to find out more about the journal.

If you are a member of IUGA, click here to access the journal.

If you are not a member of IUGA, click here to join!

The Project:

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) is an evidence-based paradigm shift in perioperative care, proven to lower both recovery time and postoperative complication rates while being cost-effective at the same time. It fundamentally shifts the traditional patient care in surgical wards to one that standardizes it based on published evidence. ERAS protocols are being adopted for gynecological procedures and there is some evidence that they also work in women undergoing pelvic floor reconstructive surgery.

There are variations in number of days of hospitalizations, duration of catheterization, vaginal packing, and postoperative analgesia after pelvic floor surgery in different countries of the world.

ERAS protocols focus on counseling preoperatively, optimizing nutrition, standardizing analgesia without opioid use, minimizing electrolyte and fluid imbalance, using the most minimally invasive approaches, and promoting early ambulation and feeding. Adopting these protocols in urogynecology would mean that patients also benefit from the principles leading to less pain and quick recovery – especially in the current climate of increased risk of hospital acquired infections and COVID with prolonged hospitalization.

Timeline:

This project is expected to begin in September 2020 and conclude by March 31, 2021.

Contributor Expectations:

• The manuscript will be developed using a collaborative process that requires regular communication via email, possible conference calls, and completion of assignments.
• Contributors will produce and deliver all completed assignments and required information on or before the agreed deadlines.
• Contributors will disclose all potential conflicts of interest (see Conflict of Interest Policy here). 

How to Apply:

• Submit a letter of interest, your qualifications/relevant experience for contributing to this project, and a brief CV to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
• Complete the online Disclosure Form, available here.

Application Deadline:

Applications must be received by 11:59pm CDT on Thursday, August 20, 2020.

Join us in our mission to improve Pelvic Organ Prolapse treatment and related patient care in urogynecology by participating in the IUGA International Urogynecological Consultation (IUC)!

We are looking for writing group members to contribute to the IUC, which will produce papers to be published in the IUJ covering definitions, treatment options and evaluation of patients who suffer from Pelvic Organ Prolapse.

The third chapter of the IUC is focused on conservative treatment of the patient with pelvic organ prolapse and will be covered by three committees:

1. Pessary management
2. Physical therapy (PFMT, biofeedback)
3. Weight loss/lifestyle modifications/mind body therapy (central desensitization).

For more information, click here.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please follow these two steps:

1) Submit a letter of interest stating which committee you are interested in joining, your qualifications for the position, and a brief CV to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,

2) Complete the online COI form available by clicking here.

Applications are due before September 15, 2020.

Committee members will serve a three-year term. Committee members will be chosen by the Chair of the respective committee with input from the IUC Steering Committee. Please click here for Terms of Reference.

We are pleased to announce that our first team has completed Leg 1 of the IUGA Across the World Challenge! The first leg took the teams 1,346 miles from Auckland to Sydney! Congratulations to Team BSUG: Gillian Fowler, Bob Freeman, Timothy Hillard, Swati Jha, Jan Willem de Leeuw, Hayser Medina Lucena, Ifeoma Offiah, Nicola Adanna Okeahialam, Ranee Thakar, Doug Tincello, Abdul Sultan, Kandice Wong!

There are 6 teams 'traveling' from the home of IUGA Immediate Past President, Lynsey Hayward in Auckland, New Zealand, to the home of current IUGA President, Ranee Thakar in London, UK.  Watch their progress here!

The latest issue of the IUGA Spotlight – IUGA’s bimonthly newsletter is now available online. In this issue, we have the privilege of hearing from Drs. Yasukuni Yoshimira and Masami Takeyama from Japan, and Tsia-Shu Lo from Taiwan, as they share their expert opinions on mesh surgery in the second and final installment in our series, Where Is Mesh Still Used to Treat POP?

We also bring you an interesting article on using biofeedback in the assessment of urinary incontinence. Although many are familiar with biofeedback in colorectal symptoms, its use in urinary incontinence is less explored.

And we’ve got tips to help you prepare for your virtual Annual Meeting experience. This year’s meeting is more than just a webinar! You can customize your own program, attend interactive Workshops and Meet the Experts Roundtables, and even attend a virtual exhibit hall! Maybe best of all, all sessions will be recorded and available on-demand, so you won’t have to choose between two concurrent sessions when you want to attend them both. Now you can!

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IUGA is pleased to announce the IUGA Annual Meeting Scholarship Program to support attendance to the IUGA Virtual 45^th Annual Meeting. The scholarships will cover the cost of meeting registration for each recipient* and are meant to support fellows/trainees/physicians-in-training and those needing financial assistance to cover the cost of registration.

In collaboration with FIUGA (Foundation for International Urogynecological Assistance), 10 scholarships will be given to fellows and faculty at FIUGA-supported fellowship programs in Nepal and Ghana. FIUGA will award these scholarships at their discretion and in consultation directly with the fellowship programs.

In addition to the scholarships provided through FIUGA, beginning today, individual applications are also being accepted. Priority will be given to applicants who clearly demonstrate the registration fee is a financial burden and without the scholarship they would be unable to attend the IUGA Virtual 45^th Annual Meeting.

ELIGIBILITY

• Applicant is a fellow/physician-in-training.

OR

• Applicant is from a low or middle-income country based on the World Bank Classification of Countries. Click here for the list of these countries (indicated as Category B and C).

APPLICATION PROCESS

Applicants must submit the application form (link below) below by 11:59pm CDT on August 13, 2020. Applications received after August 13, 2020, will not be considered. Applicants will be notified of the outcome on August 20, 2020.

APPLY NOW 

*Recipients will receive waived registration for the IUGA Virtual 45^th Annual Meeting, excluding special sessions with additional fees such as workshops and/or meet the experts roundtables.  Scholarships are not transferable.

The August issue of the International Urogynecology Journal is now available! Don't miss out on the latest news and research in the international field of urogynecology!

Click here to find out more about the journal.

If you are a member of IUGA, click here to access the journal.

If you are not a member of IUGA, click here to join!

We've got two chances for you to win a free virtual meeting registration with our themed photo contests! Submissions will be reviewed by the Public Relations Committee’s Social Media Subcommittee. One winner will be selected in each photo contest to receive a FREE Virtual Annual Meeting Registration.

Photo Contest #1: July 16 – 26, 2020

This year the IUGA Annual Meeting is coming to YOU! Show us where you will be for the Annual Meeting and use your creativity! Can we tell from your viewing space where in the world you are? Is your space so comfortable and quiet we are all envious and want to join you? Are you joining from work and decked out in your finest PPE? This year’s meeting theme is all about innovation, so be creative and show us your Annual Meeting viewing space! 

Photo Contest #1 runs from July 16-26, 2020. Post your photo submission on Facebook or Twitter and tag IUGA (@iugaoffice), or if you are not on social media, submit your photo to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Photos must be received by 11:59pm CDT on July 30 to be included in Photo Contest #1.  

Photo Contest #2: August 3 – 13, 2020

Continuing along with the “Innovation in the Era of Collaboration” theme, your challenge for Photo Contest #2 is to create an IUGA or meeting-themed cocktail or mocktail (non-alcoholic). Perhaps your beverage has a meeting-inspired name or incorporates the colors of IUGA or the 45^th Annual Meeting logo. Your submission must include both a photo of your cocktail/mocktail AND the recipe.

Photo Contest #2 runs from August 3-13, 2020. Submissions for Photo Contest #2 received before August 3 will not be considered. Post your photo submission and recipe on Facebook or Twitter and tag IUGA (@iugaoffice), or if you are not on social media, submit your photo to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Submissions must be received by 11:59pm CDT on August 13 to be included in Photo Contest #2. 

Contest Rules

• Social media submissions must tag @iugaoffice.
• Photos submitted outside of the stated contest dates or after the deadline will not be considered.
• Contest #2 photos received without the recipe will not be considered.
• One winner will be selected in each contest.
• Winner will receive one free virtual meeting registration. Registration does not include Workshops, Meet the Experts sessions, or any other session that requires an extra registration fee.