Caregiver Support and Post-operative Convalescence

Pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence surgery is now often done on an outpatient basis (also known as same day discharge surgery or SDD). While there are data to support the safety of this practice, little is known about the burden and demands of this practice on the patient and her support system/caregivers. Furthermore, there are no guidelines on requirements for assistance at home or what impact home caregiver support has on recovery. The study team is interested in investigating the spectrum of support that patients have at home in terms of caregivers such as family, friends, neighbors and how that may impact their recovery. The intervention for this study will be comprised of administering post-operative questionnaires that assess patients' post-operative convalescence and quantify the required or available caregiver support. The clinical outcome of interest is recovery as assessed by the validated questionnaires.

Inclusion criteria

• Age 18 years or older
• English speaking
• Successfully discharged on the day of surgery

Exclusion criteria

• Discharge to a nursing home, assisted living or rehabilitation facility.
• Dementia or altered mental status that would make recall of recovery process unreliable.
• Inability to access Internet or phone for study participation