Vaginal pessary for pelvic organ prolapse: a survey among french gynecological surgeons.

OBJECTIVE Because pessaries may offer symptomatic improvement for women with pelvic organ prolapse (POP), the study aimed to assess the opinion and knowledge of participants to a french general surgical gynecological congress, about this device. MATERIAL AND METHODS An anonymous survey was carried out near 150 surgeons attending a congress by handing them a questionnaire. RESULTS The average age of the 70 respondents was 50 years. 87.7% were comfortable with fitting and monitoring pessary, 54.3% think that a pessary can be offered as a first-line treatment in the management of POP. However, main indications of vaginal device are still old women and contraindications to surgery ; 31.4% do not associate local estrogen therapy with a pessary for postmenopausal women. CONCLUSION The majority declares to be comfortable with pessaries, is ready to prescribe it as a first-line treatment and use local estrogen if necessary. Even if change of ideas seems to emerge about pessary, a change in beliefs and habits is still necessary. This progress can be achieved through doctors fully informed.