Vaginal Mesh Position Statement
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NAFC’S POSITION STATEMENT FOR VAGINAL MESH FOR PELVIC SURGERY
September 8, 2011
Evidence-based health care must be applied in the use of surgical mesh for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The complete definition includes the data from high quality research, the judgment of experienced providers, and the needs of patients.
Medical societies must take responsibility for establishing standard protocols for surgery and insist on consistent, specialized training of doctors.
We must collectively elevate health literacy concerning POP and SUI to facilitate shared decision-making. Informed consent should be conversational and well in advance of the joint decision for surgical intervention.
Innovation to advance knowledge, science, and treatment modalities must be continually encouraged and rewarded. NAFC does not support the arbitrary withdrawal of all mesh products from the marketplace, based on outcomes and research data to date.
For protection of patient safety, a long-term registry for analyzing all outcomes from intervention is essential in determining a science-based means of patient selection and for developing more generalizable data.
Open communication among us all is key to best serving patient safety AND access to sound innovation.
