Clinical Guidance Documents

The American Urogynecologic Society (AUGS) has developed the following guidelines, committee opinions, and statements to promote the highest quality patient care in Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery. The development of these documents is coordinated by the AUGS Publications Committee.

Best Practice and Consensus Statements

• Consensus Statement: Postoperative Urinary Retention (April 2023)
• Consensus Statement: Consensus Definitions and Interpretation Templates for Dynamic Ultrasound Imaging of Defecatory Pelvic Floor Disorders (AUGS-ASCRS-SAR-ICS-IUGA-SGS) (January 2023)
• Consensus Statement: Vaginal Pessary Use and Management for Pelvic Organ Prolapse (AUGS-SUNA Joint Publication) (January 2023)

  • NEW Publications Committee Interview

• AUGS Update: Clinical Consensus Statement: Vaginal Energy-Based Devices (October 2022)
  • Patient Summary: Vaginal Energy-Based Devices (January 2022)
• Consensus Statement: Enhanced Recovery After Urogynecologic Surgery (AUGS-IUGA Joint Publication) (September 2022)
• Consensus Statement: Consensus Definitions and Interpretation Templates for Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Defecatory Pelvic Floor Disorders (ASCRS-SAR-ICS-AUGS-IUGA-SGS Joint Publication) (October 2021)
• AUGS Update: Consensus Statement: Association of Anticholinergic Medication Use and Cognition in Women With Overactive Bladder (February 2021)
• Consensus Statement: Consensus Definitions and Interpretation Templates for Fluoroscopic Imaging of Defecatory Pelvic Floor Disorders (ASCRS-SAR-ICS-AUGS-IUGA-SGS Joint Publication) (January 2021)
• Consensus Statement: Measuring Pelvic Floor Disorder Symptoms Using Patient-Reported Instruments (AUGS-ASCRS-ICS-SUFU Joint Publication) (January 2020)
• Best Practice Statement: Evaluation of Obstructed Defecation (November 2018 - Reaffirmed November 2022)
• Consensus Statement: Cystoscopy at the Time of Prolapse Repair (January 2018 - Reaffirmed 2021)
• Best Practice Statement: Recurrent Urinary Tract Infection in Adult Women (January 2018) - Reaffirmed 2021)
• Best Practice Statement: Evaluation and Counseling of Patients With Pelvic Organ Prolapse (September 2017 - Reaffirmed August 2020)
   

Clinical Guidance

• Assessment of the Pelvic Floor and Associated Musculoskeletal System: Guide for Medical Practitioners (December 2021)
  • Publications Committee Interview
• Pregnancy in Women With Prior Treatments for Pelvic Floor Disorders (May 2020)
   

Clinical Practice Statements

• Postoperative Opioid Prescribing After Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery (November 2021)
  • Publications Committee Interview
     

Committee Opinions and Practice Bulletins

The following committee opinions and practice bulletins have been developed jointly with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). These are assessments of emerging issues in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery and are reviewed regularly for accuracy. 

• Asymptomatic Microscopic Hematuria in Women (Committee Opinion, April 2017)
• Management of Mesh Complications in Gynecologic Surgery (Committee Opinion, April 2017 - Reaffirmed 2021)
• Pelvic Organ Prolapse (Practice Bulletin, April 2017 - Updated November 2019; Reaffirmed 2021)
• Urinary Incontinence in Women (Practice Bulletin, November 2015 - Reaffirmed 2022)
• Evaluation of Uncomplicated Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women Before Surgical Treatment (Committee Opinion, June 2014 - Reaffirmed 2020)
   

E-book

• Pelvic Floor: Foundational Science and Mechanistic Insights for a Shared Disease Model (AUGS-IUGA Joint Publication) (June 2022)

  • Publications Committee Interview

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Editorial

• In Pursuit of Patient-Centered Innovation: The Role of Professional Organizations (AUGS-IUGA Joint Editorial) (February 2020)
   

FPMRS Recommendations via the Choosing Wisely Campaign

FPMRS recommendations via the Choosing Wisely® Campaign, an initiative of the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation (ABIM).
 

Privileging Guidelines

• Guidelines for Privileging and Credentialing Physicians for Sacrocolpopexy for Pelvic Organ Prolapse (March 2013 - Reaffirmed 2018, Reaffirmed 2021)

Research Reports and Conference Reports

• NEW Research Agenda Executive Summary: National Urogynecology Research Agenda -- A Path Forward for Advancing the Treatment and Management of Pelvic Floor Disorders (November 2023)
  • Publications Committee Interview
• NEW Research Report: Twelve Month Outcomes of Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery in Patients With Uterovaginal or Posthysterectomy Vaginal Prolapse Enrolled in the Multicenter Pelvic Floor Disorders Registry (October 2023)
• NEW Research Report: Performance of Perioperative Tasks for Women Undergoing Anti-incontinence Surgery (August 2023)
• NEW Research Report: Medium-Term Outcomes of Conservative and Surgical Treatment for Stress Urinary Incontinence (June 2023)

  • NEW Publications Committee Interview

• State of the Science Conference Report: Evidence-Informed, Interdisciplinary, Multidimensional Action Plan to Advance Overactive Bladder Research and Treatment Initiatives (January 2023)
• State of the Science Conference Report: Overactive Bladder and Cognitive Impairment (January 2023)
• Research Report: Outcomes of Pessary Use at 1 Year in Women Treated from Pelvic Organ Prolapse in a Multicenter Registry (December 2022)
• Conference Report: The American Urogynecologic Society Action Plan on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (March 2022)
• Research Report: Generic Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients Seeking Care for Pelvic Organ Prolapse (June 2021)
• Research Report: Baseline Characteristics, Evaluation, and Management of Women With Complaints of Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections (May 2021)
• Research Report: Developing an Advanced Alternative Payment Model for Stress Urinary Incontinence (April 2021)
  • Publications Committee Interview
• Research Report: A Blueprint for Creating Mentored, Collaborative Networks for Early-Career Physician-Scientists (January 2021)
• Conference Report: Deciding our Future: Consensus Conference Summary Report (March 2020)

Systematic Reviews

• Microscopic Hematuria as a Screening Tool for Urologic Malignancies in Women (January 2021)
• The Impact of Weight Loss Intervention on Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Urinary Incontinence in Overweight and Obese Women (January 2020)

Terminology Reports

• Terminology Report: Joint Report on Terminology for Cosmetic Gynecology (AUGS-IUGA Joint Publication) (June 2022)
  • Publications Committee Interview
• Joint Report on Terminology for Surgical Procedures to Treat Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women (AUGS-IUGA Joint Publication) (March 2020)
• Joint Report on Terminology for Surgical Procedures to Treat Pelvic Organ Prolapse (AUGS-IUGA Joint Publication) (March 2020)
  • Erratum

Legal Disclaimer: The information above is intended to provide patients and physicians with general information, and is not intended to substitute for the treating physician's clinical judgment. The treating physician should make all treatment decisions based upon his or her independent judgment and the patient's individual clinical presentation.