Severe perineal trauma with injury to the anal sphincter at childbirth can have a profound effect on the physical and psychological wellbeing of women. This thesis describes literature examining resulting outcomes including effects on body image. It describes patient-based outcome measures used to capture this information, and evaluation of their psychometric properties. Body Image can be defined as an individual's perceptions and feelings about their own body. There is a growing interest in how this concept can influence quality of life and psychosocial dysfunction in medical disorders. This thesis aimed to examine relationships between severity of perineal trauma, general and genital specific body image and potentially influences such as symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction. No patient-reported outcome measure validated for use in women after anal sphincter injury exists and this thesis also aimed to psychometrically evaluate an existing electronic questionnaire, ePAQ (electronic personal assessment questionnaire), for this application. In the thesis, a retrospective review of body image and physical outcomes attending a perineal clinic shows over half of women report perceived changes in body image after anal sphincter injury, with negative effects on self-esteem. A prospective observational cohort study explored genital and general body image in primiparous women grouped according to degree of perineal trauma or caesarean delivery. Women completed the Female Genital Self Image Score, the modified Body Image Score, ePAQ and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale a mean of 15.5 weeks (standard deviation 1.6) after delivery. There were significant differences in genital body image scores between the groups, but not in general body image, with regression analysis showing the greatest influence on genital body image to be the anatomical extent of the trauma. Embedded into this study was the evaluation of reliability (internal consistency and test-retest) and validity (face, content and construct) of ePAQ in the group of women with anal sphincter tears. This thesis presents the first research to quantify issues surrounding severe perineal trauma and body image and demonstrates that more severe trauma leads to a poorer genital body image. It also reports psychometric evaluation of ePAQ in women after anal sphincter injury providing the first single instrument with validity and reliability for use in this context.

Background: Sphincter injury is serious complication in connection to vaginal childbirth. Desire to avoid vaginal birth again is seen in women who previously suffered from a sphincter injury. Objective: To identify and evaluate obstetric guidelines in Sweden regarding sphincter injury in relation to childbirth Method: Content analysis with a combination of a deductive and inductive approach. Results: The most frequently occurring risk factors and prevention with help of perineal protection were described in the guidelines. The physician made diagnosis and repaired the sphincter injury at the theatre.  Complications such as coital pain and anal incontinence were described in the guidelines. Paracetamol and diclofenac was most common analgesic regimen given for pain. Prophylaxis such as antibiotic treatment and laxative were common. Information given to women was described. Follow-up by physician, midwife and physiotherapist was recommended after four weeks to six months. For future birth a cesarean section was recommended. Conclusion: The guidelines were constructed in the same way and had to a large extent similar content. The authors of the present work recommend a national guideline. / Bakgrund: Sfinkterskada är en allvarlig komplikation i samband med vaginal förlossning. Önskan om att undvika vaginal förlossning igen ses hos kvinnor som tidigare drabbats av sfinkterskada. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att ta reda på om det fanns riktlinjer gällande sfinkterskada i samband med förlossning vid Sveriges förlossningskliniker samt sammanställa och granska innehållet i riktlinjerna. Metod: Innehållsanalys med en kombination av deduktiv och induktiv ansats. Resultat: Av de 39 kliniker som svarade hade 31 riktlinjer gällande sfinkterskada. I riktlinjerna beskrevs vanligast förekommande riskfaktorer samt prevention med hjälp av perinealskydd. Läkaren ställde diagnos och utförde reparation av sfinkterskadan på operationsavdelningen. Komplikationer som samlagssmärta och anal inkontinens fanns beskrivet i riktlinjerna. Paracetamol och diklofenak var den vanligast förekommande smärtlindringen. Profylax som antibiotikabehandling och laxantia gavs av de flesta förlossningskliniker. Information till den nyförlösta kvinnan beskrevs. Uppföljning hos läkare, barnmorska och sjukgymnast rekommenderades efter fyra veckor till sex månader. Vid kommande graviditet och förlossning föredrogs kejsarsnitt. Slutsats: Riktlinjerna var uppbyggda på samma sätt och hade till stor del liknande innehåll. Författarna till föreliggande fördjupningsarbete efterfrågar en nationell riktlinje.

Objective Our aim was to compare two regimens of antibiotic prophylaxis at the time of repair of obstetric anal sphincter injury. Benefit of long regimen of antibiotic prophylaxis in comparison with short regimen of antibiotic administration haven't been till now proven. Material and Methods Women who gave vaginal birth in department of gynaecology and obstetrics of the First Faculty of Medicine of Charles University and Hospital Bulovka from 1.1.2008 to 30.6.2013 and who sustained third - or fourth - degree perineal tears have been enrolled in our trial. All women who fulfilled trial criteria received at the time of repair antibiotic prophylaxis which was cefuroxim (second - generation cephalosporin). This antibiotic has good sensitivity to vaginal gram-positive flora and to rectal gram-negative microorganisms too. Suture technique and following postpartum care have been standardized. All enrolled women were checked 2 weeks and 3 months after delivery. We evaluated subjective and objective parameters of healing of the obstetric perineal injury and 3 months postpartum we looked for symptomps regarding anal incontinence. The Manchester questionnaire was used for evaluation of anal incontince occurance. Results Incidence of third - and fourth - degree perineal tears was 1,4 % during period of our...

Objective Our aim was to compare two regimens of antibiotic prophylaxis at the time of repair of obstetric anal sphincter injury. Benefit of long regimen of antibiotic prophylaxis in comparison with short regimen of antibiotic administration haven't been till now proven. Material and Methods Women who gave vaginal birth in department of gynaecology and obstetrics of the First Faculty of Medicine of Charles University and Hospital Bulovka from 1.1.2008 to 30.6.2013 and who sustained third - or fourth - degree perineal tears have been enrolled in our trial. All women who fulfilled trial criteria received at the time of repair antibiotic prophylaxis which was cefuroxim (second - generation cephalosporin). This antibiotic has good sensitivity to vaginal gram-positive flora and to rectal gram-negative microorganisms too. Suture technique and following postpartum care have been standardized. All enrolled women were checked 2 weeks and 3 months after delivery. We evaluated subjective and objective parameters of healing of the obstetric perineal injury and 3 months postpartum we looked for symptomps regarding anal incontinence. The Manchester questionnaire was used for evaluation of anal incontince occurance. Results Incidence of third - and fourth - degree perineal tears was 1,4 % during period of our...

Obstetric interventions and pelvic floor disorders - Abstract One of the principal objectives of obstetric interventions in the second stage of labor is prevention of pelvic floor trauma and associated pelvic floor disorders. The most commonly used and also most frequently discussed interventions are manual perineal protection and episiotomy. The majority of pelvic floor disorders are of subjective nature. Therefore, tools for objectification and severity quantification of these disorders are the key to reliable comparison and identification of the most effective interventions. The aim of the dissertation was to find the most effective modification of manual perineal protection, to compare two frequently used types of episiotomy regarding all pelvic floor disorders and finally to find a consensus on the most suitable instrument for anal incontinence severity assessment. Our studies concerning manual perineal protection experimentally described the direction and extent of perineal deformation during vaginal delivery. The subsequent studies on biomechanical model demonstrated that the most effective method of manual perineal protection in peak perineal strain reduction is when the fingers are placed on the perineum 6 cm laterally and 2 cm ventrally from the posterior commissure at both sides and are...

Obstetric interventions and pelvic floor disorders - Abstract One of the principal objectives of obstetric interventions in the second stage of labor is prevention of pelvic floor trauma and associated pelvic floor disorders. The most commonly used and also most frequently discussed interventions are manual perineal protection and episiotomy. The majority of pelvic floor disorders are of subjective nature. Therefore, tools for objectification and severity quantification of these disorders are the key to reliable comparison and identification of the most effective interventions. The aim of the dissertation was to find the most effective modification of manual perineal protection, to compare two frequently used types of episiotomy regarding all pelvic floor disorders and finally to find a consensus on the most suitable instrument for anal incontinence severity assessment. Our studies concerning manual perineal protection experimentally described the direction and extent of perineal deformation during vaginal delivery. The subsequent studies on biomechanical model demonstrated that the most effective method of manual perineal protection in peak perineal strain reduction is when the fingers are placed on the perineum 6 cm laterally and 2 cm ventrally from the posterior commissure at both sides and are...