Perioperative and Intraoperative Considerations for Gynecology Patients With Disabilities: A Review

Area of Science:

• Gynecologic Surgery
• Disability Studies
• Healthcare Disparities

Background:

• Approximately 30% of adult women in the US live with a disability.
• There is a significant gap in research concerning perioperative and operative gynecologic care for women with disabilities.
• Existing literature often lacks robust data, necessitating extrapolation from other surgical fields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compile current research on gynecologic care for women with disabilities.
• To identify evidence-based recommendations for this underserved population.
• To highlight areas requiring further investigation in perioperative and operative gynecologic care.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of existing literature.
• Categorization of research by physical and intellectual disabilities.
• Inclusion of diverse study types, from case reports to scoping reviews.
• Extrapolation of findings from general surgical fields.

Main Results:

• The most consistent evidence-based recommendation across studies was the benefit of a multidisciplinary team approach.
• Many recommendations were practical but lacked supporting empirical data.
• Significant heterogeneity in the quality and scope of available research was observed.

Conclusions:

• A multidisciplinary team is crucial for optimizing gynecologic care for women with disabilities.
• There is a critical need for more high-quality research to support evidence-based guidelines.
• Future studies should focus on developing and validating interventions for this population.