Editor's Letter

Dear IUGA Family,

I had read a quote somewhere which said, "time passes quickly but memories last forever...." Well, the first quarter of 2023 has passed in what seems like the blink of an eye. I hope the last three months have been productive with lots of joy and memories and you are looking forward to making new memories at the upcoming Annual Meeting of IUGA in The Hague.  

The passing of time has also brought us quickly to the second issue of the Spotlight for the year, i.e. part two of our special focus on the ‘posterior compartment and the urogynecologist’. We continue our efforts to bring international experts to weigh in on tricky subjects that have eluded comprehension. Our hope is that this issue will give you some nuggets of wisdom that will help you in your daily practice and encourage analysis of posterior compartment problems through a new light.

We begin this issue with a debate: Is Endoluminal Ultrasound or Transperineal Ultrasound the Best Approach to Imaging of the Posterior Compartment? We are extremely lucky to have the stalwarts of the field, Dr. Abbas Shobeiri and Dr. Clara Shek, provide their opposing views on the matter.

No issue on the posterior compartment would be complete without Dr. Abdul Sultan providing his expert comments. We are delighted to have Dr. Sultan weigh in with his views on a difficult clinical situation from a urogynecologist’s perspective: The Best Approach to a Young Woman with Anal Incontinence Following OASI Repair. This is a great follow-up to part one of our focus on the posterior compartment in which Dr. Lucia Oliviera provided the colorectal surgeon’s perspective on the topic. If the caliber of experts contributing to the newsletter has not already impressed you, we are very happy to add an esteemed Past President of IUGA, Dr. Willy Davila, to the mix. He follows with a thought-provoking piece on the best approach to concomitant vaginal and rectal prolapse: Does Concomitant Surgery Work Best? If not, which compartment should be addressed first?

Next up is a very important topic, prevention of recurrent pelvic organ prolapse with level 3 repair, elaborated upon by Dr. Adi Weintraub. This is followed by Professor Sergio Camargo providing his views on whether site specific repair has any role in the posterior compartment. Then, Dr. Rajesh Sainani offers a gastroenterologist’s view on the role of anorectal manometry in the assessment of obstructed defecation syndrome.

The third section of the issue has diverse content. We invited Peg Maas to offer her sensitive comments on a vexing issue: pelvic examination in a patient with a history of sexual trauma. It is such an important piece we decided it is imperative that we do not wait to feature it. We follow with Dr. Jenny King’s update on the activities of the IUGA Education Committee in 2022. It is wonderful to see the Education Committee working tirelessly for our benefit.

Well, that sums up what we have for you in this issue of the Spotlight! As always, we are immensely grateful for your constant support, dear readers. It is what keeps the Publications Committee motivated to bring our best to the table!