ArticleBMC women's health2014
Anal incontinence, urinary incontinence and sexual problems in primiparous women - a comparison between women with episiotomy only and women with episiotomy and obstetric anal sphincter injury.
Article in BMC women's health, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05317364 (Topical Vaginal Estrogen for Postpartum Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injury Recovery), which is not on this map. Cited by 9 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Topical Vaginal Estrogen for Postpartum Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injury Recovery: a Randomized Clinical Trial
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.
- Obstetric risk factors for anorectal dysfunction after delivery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International urogynecology journal · 2021Pooled it
- Tools for fecal incontinence assessment: lessons for inflammatory bowel disease trials based on a systematic review.United European gastroenterology journal · 2020Pooled it
- Impact of episiotomy on anal incontinence following second- to fourth-degree perineal tears-A cohort study.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2026Article
- Mode of Subsequent Delivery After Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries (OASIs).International urogynecology journal · 2026Review
- Sexual Function After Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injuries (OASIs): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.International urogynecology journal · 2026Review
- Early secondary repair of obstetric anal sphincter injury: postoperative complications, long-term functional outcomes, and impact on quality of life.Techniques in coloproctology · 2020Article
- Coital resumption after delivery among OASIS patients: differences between instrumental and spontaneous delivery.BMC women's health · 2019Observational
- Article
- Anal Sphincter Anatomy Prepregnancy to Postdelivery Among the Same Primiparous Women on Dynamic Magnetic Resonance Imaging.Female pelvic medicine & reconstructive surgeryArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundObstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS) might cause anal incontinence (AI) and sexual dysfunction, and might be associated with urinary incontinence (UI). Episiotomy has been identified both as a risk and a protective factor of OASIS. Lately, episiotomies with specific characteristics have shown to be protective against the risk of OASIS. However, little is known about episiotomy characteristics and pelvic floor dysfunction. This study investigates AI, UI, and sexual problems in primiparous women with episiotomy, comparing women with and without OASIS. Associations between episiotomy characteristics and AI, UI, and sexual problems were assessed.
methodsThis is a matched case-control study investigating 74 women with one vaginal birth, all with an episiotomy. Among these, 37 women sustained OASIS and were compared to 37 women without OASIS. The two groups were matched for vacuum/forceps. AI, UI and sexual problem symptoms were obtained from St. Mark's scoring-tool and self-administered questionnaires. The episiotomy characteristics were investigated and results assessed for the whole group.
resultsThe mean time from birth was 34.5 months (range1.3-78.2) for those with OASIS and 25.9 months (range 7.0-57.4) for those without OASIS, respectively. More women with OASIS reported AI: 14 (38%) vs. 3 (8%) p = 0.05 (OR 4.66, 95% CI 1.34-16.33) as well as more problem with sexual desire p = 0.02 (OR 7.62, 95% CI 1.30-44.64) compared to women without OASIS. We found no association between episiotomy with protective characteristics and dysfunctions.
conclusionWomen with OASIS had more AI and sexual problems than those without OASIS. Episiotomy characteristics varied greatly between the women. Episiotomy with protective characteristics was not associated with increased dysfunctions. OASIS should be avoided, and correct episiotomy used if indicated.
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