One-year follow-up of women who participated in a physiotherapy and health education program before and after obstetric fistula surgery.

Objective: To investigate whether the positive impact of a program of physiotherapy and health education on the outcome of obstetric fistula surgery was maintained after 1 year.

Methods: The present follow-up analysis included 108 women who underwent obstetric fistula surgery at a center in Tanguiéta, Benin, between March 2011 and March 2012, and who had received a structured program of physiotherapy and health education before and after surgery. After discharge, follow-up visits were made 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery.

Impact of a program of physiotherapy and health education on the outcome of obstetric fistula surgery.

Objective: Surgery is the only successful treatment for most obstetric fistulae. The present study measured the impact of a structured program of pre- and postoperative physiotherapy and health education on the outcome of surgery for obstetric fistula.

Methods: We compared the postoperative outcomes of 2 consecutive groups of women with obstetric fistulae who were recruited and followed-up by 2 local nongovernmental organizations at a hospital in Tanguiéta, Benin.