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Part of the book series: Updates in Surgery ((UPDATESSURG))

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Abstract

The pelvic floor is a complex, three-dimensional (3D) mechanical apparatus that has been artificially divided in three different regions: anterior, middle, and posterior compartments. However, urinary (urinary incontinence, voiding dysfuntion, cystocele), genital (uterine prolapse, vaginal vault prolapse, enterocele), and anorectal abnormalities (fecal incontinence, obstructed defecation, rectocele, intussusception, dyssynergia) are frequently associated in women with pelvic floor dysfunction [1]. Although patients may present with symptoms that involve only one compartment, 95% of patients have abnormalities in all three compartments [2]. As a consequence, the specialist (urologist, gynecologist, gastroenterologist, and colorectal surgeon) approaching the pelvic floor should not have vertical vision confined to their area of interest, but a transverse, multicompartmental vision, always taking into consideration that pelvic floor disorders rarely occur in isolation.

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Correspondence to Giulio A. Santoro .

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Santoro, G.A., Murad-Regadas, S., Causa, L., Mellgren, A. (2014). Pelvic Floor Ultrasonography. In: Gaspari, A.L., Sileri, P. (eds) Pelvic Floor Disorders: Surgical Approach. Updates in Surgery. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5441-7_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5441-7_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Milano

  • Print ISBN: 978-88-470-5440-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-88-470-5441-7

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