#94 Prof. Suzanne Hagen - Pelvic Organ Prolaps

Episode #94 of the PhysioBib Podcast is the latest in our series
on pelvic health, and this time we had the pleasure of speaking
with Professor Suzanne Hagen.


Suzanne is Professor of Health Services Research in the School of
Health and Life Sciences at Glasgow Caledonian University. She's
a statistician by background and over almost 30 years working
across the NHS and academia, she has built a research programme
centred on the conservative management of pelvic floor disorders
like incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Her work includes
landmark trials such as the TOPSY trial on vaginal pessary
self-management and the POPPY trial on pelvic floor muscle
training for prolapse, studies that have genuinely shaped what we
know about treating POP without surgery.


So with everything she's involved in, we feel very honoured that
she took the time to join us for this conversation. Together with
Lotte Heimes, we focused on pelvic organ prolapse: how it's
defined and classified, how common it is and how it progresses,
and which risk factors we actually have evidence for.


We dug into the surprisingly weak link between anatomical
findings and symptoms, and spent a good part of the conversation
on conservative treatment — what pelvic floor muscle training can
achieve, where pessaries fit in, and whether the widespread
lifting restrictions and activity warnings really hold up against
the evidence.


We also touched on surgical options, recurrence rates,
interdisciplinary care, and the often-overlooked psychosocial
side of prolapse.


Enjoy the episode!