The Female Pelvic Floor

1. Front Matter

   Pages I-XIX

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2. Overview

   Pages 1-13

3. The Anatomy and Dynamics of Pelvic Floor Function and Dysfunction

   Pages 14-50

4. Diagnosis of Connective Tissue Damage

   Pages 51-82

5. Reconstructive Pelvic Floor Surgery According to the Integral Theory

   Pages 83-167

6. Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation

   Pages 168-172

7. Mapping the Dynamics of Connective Tissue Dysfunction

   Pages 173-205

8. Current and Emerging Research Issues

   Pages 206-221

9. Conclusion

   Pages 222-223

10. Back Matter

    Pages 224-260

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I f rst encountered the Integral T eory system in the early 1990’s at the Royal Perth Hospital laboratory in Western Australia where I was working on laparoscopic colposuspension. Even in prototype form, the IVS operation was so simple and ef ective that I adopted it immediately. Subsequently, based on my experiences, I wrote the following in the Medical Journal of Australia in October 1994: (the operations) promise a new era for women, virtually pain-free cure of prolapse and incontinence without catheters, and return to normal activities within days. Now, ten years later, more than 500,000 ‘tension-free’ anterior or posterior sling operations have been performed. One case in particular stands out from those early years. A woman patient in her mid-50’s came to see me with a f ve year history of urinary retention which required an indwelling catheter. T is woman had consulted more than a dozen medical specialists who had told her the same story: no cure was possible. Using the Structured Assessment of the Integral T eory it was deduced that she had a posterior zone defect. I performed a Posterior IVS. T e next day the patient was voiding spontaneously with low residuals, and she has remained well since.

• Incontinence
• Integral
• Pelvic
• anatomy
• pelvic floor
• surgery

• Dept of Gynaecology, Royal Perth Hospital

  Peter Petros

Policies and ethics