As the face of health care changes and physicians are presented with new challenges, we need to keep focused on our priorities: maintain outstanding patient care, continue to grow ourselves as physicians, and train the next generation of women’s health care providers. The theme of the SGS 2019 annual scientific meeting in Tucson, Arizona, “Looking Forward: Achieving Excellence in Gynecologic Surgery for Ourselves, Our Learners, and Our Patients,” focused on these very concepts. This 2-part special section of OBG Management highlights some of the meeting’s outstanding presentations.
The excellent postgraduate workshops included courses on simulation of laparoscopic suturing, surgical strategies for fibroid management, and a quality improvement boot camp. In addition, Rebecca Rogers, MD, Cassandra Carberry, MD, and Danielle Antosh, MD, along with physical therapist Uchenna Ossai, PT, DPT, WCS, ran a course on pelvic surgery and its impact on sexual function, tackling an important, often difficult topic for gynecologic surgeons. In part 2 of this special section, these authors highlight current knowledge on sexual function related to surgery and offer an initial evaluation and treatment approach for women with sexual dysfunction after surgery.
Peter Jeppson, MD, Audra Jolyn Hill, MD, and Sunil Balgobin, MD, have been integral leaders of the SGS Pelvic Anatomy Group, which has a mission to educate physicians about pelvic anatomy. Early discussions made it clear that standardized terms needed to be established and used for pelvic structures. In this special section, these authors illustrate the importance of standard terminology to optimize patient care, and they review pertinent vaginal compartment structures for the gynecologist.
Along with outstanding plenary talks focusing on surgical education research by Gary Dunnington, MD, and health disparities in gynecologic surgery by Marcela del Carmen, MD, MPH, 2 special focus speakers were featured. Sean Dowdy, MD, highlighted advances in the perioperative care of gynecologic surgery patients. In this special section, he reviews best practices for enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) and describes his experience with implementing a successful ERAS program.
Cheryl Iglesia, MD, covered energy-based therapies in female genital cosmetic surgery. In part 2 of this special section, she highlights, with Sarah Ward, MD, the salient points from her presentation, including the mechanism of action of laser therapy on tissue remodeling as well as some therapeutic uses for and outcomes of laser therapy in gynecologic care.
I hope you enjoy the content of this special section (part 2 will follow in the May issue) and find that it helps you achieve excellence in gynecologic surgery for yourself, your learners, and your patients!