• Staff: A nurse practitioner from UNC Women's Primary Healthcare will see gynecology patients on Mondays and Thursdays
• Providing a complete range of gynecologic services including family planning, preventative care and screening for routine or acute gynecological examinations.
• Services offered on campus and at UNC OB-GYN at Timberlyne will remain the same.

UNC Pelvic Health at Hillsborough

• Staff:  Physician providers from UNC Urogynecology & Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery will see patients there on Tuesdays and Fridays.
• Providing a complete range of gynecologic services including family planning, preventative care and screening for routine or acute gynecological examinations.
• Services offered on campus will remain the same.

http://www.wral.com/news/video/12340590/

Recruitment Length
March 2013 -

Participation Details
Study participation lasts a minimum of 7 weeks with an optional extension of 12 more weeks for a total of up to 15 weeks. You may have study visits on 4-5 days of your time.

Compensation available?
Yes. Depending on the length of your participation and the number of study visits your payment could be a total of $50 up to $500.

Qualifiers for the study

• Age 19-75 years old
• History of FI for at least 6 months
• At least 4 episodes of FI during a 2-week period

If interested, call or complete online interest form
Study Coordinator Phone Number | 919-843-8259

IRB Approval Number
13-0961

Recruitment Length
November 2011 -

Participation Details
Total participation in the study will be completed 1 year after surgery. Assessment with exam and questionnaires will be made at baseline, 3 months, and 12 months after surgery. You will have a routine postoperative examination at 6 weeks after surgery.

Compensation available?
Yes.  Up to $150

Qualifiers for the study
Desires surgical treatment for uterovaginal prolapse; Symptmatic stage II-IV Pelvic Organ Prolapse; Eligible for and undergoing one of the following procedures: laparoscopic sacral hysteropexy (LSHP) or Vaginal Uphold hysteropexy (VUHP); Female age 35-80;

Exclusion Criteria
Contact study coordinator for a brief survey to determine your eligibility

Study Contact Number
919-843-2574

IRB Approval Number
11-2274

She is a former Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) K12 scholar and is now supported by a NICHD K23 to evaluate the genetic epidemiology of pelvic floor disorders.  She has been NIH-funded to evaluate the genetic etiology of prolapse as well as to study the pharmacogenetic predictors of the response to anticholinergic medications for overactive bladder.  Her long-term career goal is to substantially improve women’s health in the field of urogynecology by becoming a well-trained, independent clinician-scientist able to use innovative tools to identify the root causes of pelvic floor disorders and to translate these findings into improved clinical practice.

"We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Wu back to UNC" shares Dr. Catherine Matthews, Director of UNC Pelvic Health.  "In addition to her broad clinical excellence  in the treatment of all pelvic floor disorders, she is a gifted researcher who brings her results back to the bedside. For example, Dr Wu will be collecting a biorepository so individual genetic information can be used to direct patient treatment. While we feel honored to have her, I know that our patients will be the more fortunate recipients of her expertise."

John F. Boggess, MD

Kim Boggess, MD

Wendy R. Brewster, MD, PhD

Nancy C. Chescheir, MD

Daniel L. Clarke-Pearson, MD

Wesley C. Fowler, Jr., MD

Marc A. Fritz, MD

Paola Alvarez Gehrig, MD

William H. Goodnight III, MD

David A. Grimes, MD

Catherine Matthews, MD

M. Kathryn Menard, MD

John T. Soper, MD

John Steege, MD

Alison M. Stuebe, MD

Robert Strauss, MD

John M. Thorp Jr., MD

Linda Van Le, MD

The objectives of this study were to estimate the prevalence of fecal incontinence (FI) in older women and examine associations between potential risk factors and prevalent FI.

METHODS:

We conducted a cross-sectional study of prevalent FI in 64,559 women, aged 62 – 87 years, in the Nurses’ Health Study. Since 1976, participants provided information on health and lifestyle on mailed biennial questionnaires. Data on FI were collected in 2008. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for FI were calculated using logistic regression models.

RESULTS:

The reported prevalence of liquid or solid stool incontinence at least monthly increased from 9% in women aged 62 to 64 years to 17 % in women aged 85 to 87 years. Prevalent FI was 50 % less common in black women compared with white women (6 % vs. 12 % , respectively). Other variables associated with increased odds of FI at least monthly were pregnancy, higher body mass index (BMI), lower physical activity, functional limitations, current cigarette smoking, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and neurologic disease. Urinary incontinence (UI) was a strong correlate of FI, with 63 % of women with FI reporting UI at least monthly compared with 45 % of women in the whole study population.

CONCLUSIONS:

FI is a common condition among older women, and often co-occurs with urinary incontinence. Potentially modifiable risk factors include BMI, physical activity, and cigarette smoking.

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