Is PREHAB in Pelvic Floor Surgery Needed? A Topical Review

Abstract

Pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence affect approximately 6–11% and 6–40% of women, respectively. These pathologies could result from a weakness of pelvic floor muscles (PFM) caused by previous deliveries, aging or surgery. It seems reasonable that improving PFM efficacy should positively impact both pelvic floor therapy and surgical outcomes. Nonetheless, the existing data are inconclusive and do not clearly support the positive impact of preoperative pelvic floor muscle training on the improvement of surgical results. The restoration of deteriorated PFM function still constitutes a challenge. Thus, further well-designed prospective studies are warranted to answer the question of whether preoperative PFM training could optimize surgical outcomes and if therapeutic actions should focus on building muscle strength or rather on enhancing muscle performance.