AUGS/SGS 2004 Joint Meeting Welcome & Upcoming Episiotomy Debate "The Kindest Cut"

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Thomas Nolan, MD: Hi, I’m Tom Nolan, I am representing the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons at the Joint American Urogynecologic Society and the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons meeting in San Diego in July of 2004. Karl?

Karl Luber, MD: And I am Karl Luber, I am the Chairman of Government Relations for the American Urogynecologic Society and we are very excited this year to have a combined meeting with the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons.

Thomas Nolan, MD: The high quality of the papers this year has just been amazing. The studies have been extremely well done. I think the program community did a superior job putting together the aspects of both societies. The number of people attending has been very, very good and the level of the conversations, as well as the interaction among the members of both societies, has been amazing to me.

Karl Luber, MD: It is. To sit in a room and see 1,100 people’s faces absolutely fixated, entranced on a presentation of basic science or clinical outcomes research in women’s pelvic floor disorders or other complex gynecologic surgical issues, it is warming to the heart of the folks who spend their lives trying to help people move this agenda forward and make things better for women.

Thomas Nolan, MD: As far as that goes, Karl, you and I are going to have a debate during the Armed Forces District Meeting out here in San Diego on October 19 this year.

Karl Luber, MD: That’s right.

Thomas Nolan, MD: I unfortunately, have been given the unpopular position of defending the use of routine episiotomy and you drew very highly and got to have the other side of the coin.

Karl Luber, MD: “The kindest cut.” Yes, that is going to be a really good discussion. There has been so much data that has come out in the last ten years, both basic science and clinical outcomes data, regarding the use of episiotomy which, in the past, was considered just an absolute default position of the obstetrician-gynecologist and on behalf of women, people have done a lot of excellent work and Tom and I are going to have a little bit of time to sit down together in front of bunch of other people and talk about what those data have shown us. I do not think we will reach any clear conclusions, but I think we will get a much clearer picture of what we know and do not know.

Thomas Nolan, MD: I will be lucky enough to be discussing what we have spent the last one hundred years learning while Karl will be discussing what we have tried to unlearn over the last ten.

Karl Luber, MD: I will not be the first nor the last to jump on a new idea.

Thomas Nolan, MD: Well, thank you very much, Karl.

Karl Luber, MD: And thank you very much to MediSpecialty and OBGYN.net for being here to cover this very important meeting.