Pelvic organ prolapse: demographics and future growth prospects.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP) is the hidden epidemic. Demographic studies have shown that women over the age of eighty are the fastest growing population segment in the United States and Canada. Over the next thirty years the rate of women who will seek treatment for POP will double. Risks for the development of POP have been categorized into factors that predispose, incite, promote, and decompensate. Connective tissue disorders may play a role in the pathogenesis which may involve a reduction in total collagen content secondary to increased collagenolytic activity. Eventually clinicians may be able to identify women who may be genetically predetermined to develop POP. The role of adjuvant materials in performing reconstructive pelvic surgery may improve success rates, but evidence based medicine and randomized controlled trials are currently lacking.