Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39390126›Full record

Trial reportArchives of gynecology and obstetrics2025

Effect of postpartum pessary use on pelvic floor function: a prospective multicenter study.

Franziska Beer, Madeleine Kuppinger, Frank Schwab, Markus Hübner, Brenda Kiefner, Anna Nacke, Ute Kelkenberg, Sabine Schütze, Anna Lindner, Lars Hellmeyer and 3 more

Abstract readClinical TrialMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Trial report in Archives of gynecology and obstetrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Female pelvic floor protection-Where do we have to go?Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Franziska BeerDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Madeleine KuppingerDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Frank SchwabInstitute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Markus HübnerDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Brenda KiefnerDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Anna NackeDepartment of Obstetrics, Vivantes Klinikum Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany.
Ute KelkenbergDepartement of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Klinikum Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany.
Sabine SchützeDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Anna LindnerDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Lars HellmeyerDepartment of Obstetrics, Vivantes Klinikum Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany.
Wolfgang JanniDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Melanie MetzDepartment of Sexual Health and Family Planning, Berlin, Germany.
Miriam DenizDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital of Ulm, Ulm, Germany. miriam.deniz@uniklinik-ulm.de.ORCID 0000-0002-7327-7735

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis study evaluates the restitution of pelvic floor function in postpartum women using the Restifem® pessary in a preventive and therapeutic approach.

methodsIn this multicentre study all postpartum women independently of their parity, mode of delivery and existing pelvic floor symptoms were offered to use the Restifem® pessary from 6 weeks postpartum for 3 to 6 months. They completed the validated German pelvic floor questionnaire (GPFQpp) via online survey at 6 weeks, 6 months and 12 months postpartum and were divided, by their own choice, into users and non-users of the pessary.

resultsInitially 857 women were enrolled. After 6 weeks 137 pessary users and 133 non-users, after 12 months 53 pessary users and 45 non-users submitted a completed questionnaire. Pessary users had significantly higher (worse) scores in all domains of the GPFQpp at 6 weeks postpartum. At 12 months postpartum pessary users still had a significantly higher bladder score, compared to non-users. There was a greater improvement in the bladder score (p = 0.005) and the pelvic organ prolapse score (p < 0.001) from 6 weeks to 12 months postpartum, among pessary users compared to non-users.

conclusionPessary users had a significantly greater improvement in pelvic floor function from 6 weeks to 12 months postpartum, compared to non-users. This effect might be in part due to wearing the pessary but also due to greater scope for recovery, given the higher level of pelvic floor dysfunction in the pessary user group.

trial registrationThe trial was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00024733) on 19 of April 2021.

Indexed as

Pelvic FloorPelvic Floor DisordersPelvic Organ ProlapsePessariesPostpartum PeriodAdultFemaleHumansPregnancyProspective StudiesSurveys and QuestionnairesGerman pelvic floor questionnaire for pregnant and postpartum womenPelvic floor dysfunctionPostpartum pelvic floor therapyRestifem® pessary

Identifiers

PMID39390126
PMCPMC11985659

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.