Patient-Specific Pessaries for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Using Three-Dimensional Printing: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Gynecology
• Medical Device Innovation

Background:

• Vaginal pessaries are a common non-surgical treatment for pelvic organ prolapse (POP).
• Standard pessary fitting and usage can be challenging, leading to suboptimal outcomes and patient dissatisfaction.
• Improving pessary effectiveness and patient satisfaction is crucial for successful POP management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility of using patient-specific pessaries fabricated with 3D-printed molds.
• To assess the impact of patient-specific pessaries on POP symptom severity.
• To determine if patient-specific pessaries enhance overall satisfaction with pessary treatment.

Main Methods:

• A pilot prospective study involving eight women undergoing POP treatment with standard vaginal pessaries.
• Patient-specific pessaries were custom-designed and fabricated using 3D-printed molds, biocompatible silicone, and patient/physician input.
• Symptomatic distress and treatment satisfaction were measured before and after a 3-week trial of patient-specific pessaries.

Main Results:

• A statistically significant improvement in POP symptoms was observed after switching to patient-specific pessaries (P = 0.02).
• Overall patient satisfaction with pessary treatment significantly increased (P = 0.02).
• All participants reported either improvement or no change in ease of use, comfort, and support.

Conclusions:

• Patient-specific vaginal pessaries fabricated using 3D printing show promise as an effective alternative to standard pessaries.
• This innovative approach can alleviate pelvic organ prolapse symptoms and enhance patient satisfaction.
• Customized pessary design offers a potential pathway to improved non-surgical POP management.