A Novel Assay for Predicting Surgical Outcomes in Pelvic Organ Prolapse

The research objective of this proposal is to investigate the clinical utility and validity of eLASV as a personalized marker for women's individual risk of recurrence for pelvic organ prolapse following advanced surgical procedures. Estimated levator ani subtended volume (eLASV) is a reproducible magnetic resonance image of the female pelvis that objectively quantifies the integrity of the pelvic floor levator ani muscles. A woman's levator ani muscle anatomical shape is unique to her as a result of her own individual lifetime risk for development of pelvic floor dysfunction. The novelty of eLASV as a measurement of muscle integrity, separates it methodology from the solitary of diagnosing partial trauma or defects as previously published within the literature. eLASV measurements have the potential to identify women at increased risk for surgical failure and may be used as a prognostic tool to aid in future counseling and stratification of patients into surgical options for treatment of pelvic organ prolapse.