If you are travelling to attend this course/practical from outside of the province/country where you are registered to practice, please make sure you inquire with the College of the province where you are traveling to as to whether you require a temporary/courtesy licence.

If you have previously completed a pessary course/have pessary fitting experience, and are interested in auditing/registering for the lecture portion only, you can do so at a discounted rate. Please email info@pelvichealthsolutions.ca for details.

This course is designed to be attended live during the specific dates and times listed. By attending live, you’ll be able to harness the benefits of live discussions, timely feedback, and a collaborative environment.

Course Description:

This course has a common one-day live-online lecture portion for all participants, followed by practical pessary fitting lab dates as outlined for each course (locations/details found under the schedule tab).

Pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence are common concerns that Pelvic Health Physiotherapists and other health care providers see frequently with their clients who were assigned female at birth. As medical systems transition towards conservative management, pessary use is recommended as a first-line symptoms management option for those with POP and SUI both in Canada and internationally.

This course combines the most recent, evidence-based recommendations with hands-on and practical information for where pessaries fit into client care and how to integrate them into your clinical practice. Instructors Jenny and Cara have performed hundreds of pessary fittings and give in-depth, behind-the-scenes perspectives and clinical pearls to help you offer pessary care for your clients. Whether you want to offer pessary fittings in your clinic, work with clients for pessary maintenance after a fitting, or just learn more about pessaries so you can educate your clients who are suitable for pessary use, this course is for you. 

Course objectives:

• Briefly review up-to-date management options for pelvic organ prolapse and stress urinary incontinence so you know where pessaries fit into recommended care pathways (see Clinical Update course for in-depth research review)
• Overview of the POP-Q exam, how to perform the simplified POP-Q and vaginal tissue scan in clinic in a trauma-informed manner
• Comprehensive, research-based summary regarding pessary recommendations, indications, contraindications, effectiveness and ongoing management
• Overview of different pessary sizes and styles, clinical reasoning for which pessary size and styles to try with a given client
• How to work with other health care providers to ensure adequate pessary clearance and ongoing care
• Charting and interprofessional communication recommendations
• Practical considerations for how to set up a pessary service in your clinic, including overview of single-patient disposable model or sterilization of pessary fitting kits with an autoclave
• Lab will involve working in groups of 2-3 to do speculum exams, simplified POP-Q assessment, and pessary fittings for ring and cube on each other.

**Participants for this course are from different professions, provinces, and countries. It will be each registrant’s responsibility to look into prevention and infection control for their practice. You are encouraged to verify the legislation in your province or country to ensure that fitting pessaries is within your scope of practice as well as the specific regulations about infection control (cleaning and sterilizing in clinic or outside).

This course combines lecture-based instruction with hands-on practical labs. During the practical session, attendees will work in small groups, taking on roles as both the clinician and patient. With an excellent ratio of lab assistants to participants, attendees will receive guidance throughout the practical portion. Lab assistants will be available to answer questions and ensure a supportive learning environment.

If you are unable or uncomfortable acting as a patient model for any reason, you are required to bring someone (such as a friend, family member, or colleague) to practice on, as there is no guarantee that another participant will volunteer to act as a model more than once. Please notify info@pelvichealthsolutions.ca if you will be bringing someone to practice on.

Audience:

This course is recommended for experienced clinicians who have the ability to perform internal exams - Pelvic Health Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Nurse Practitioners, Physicians, Physician Assistants, Naturopathic Doctors

Prerequisite: 

Prerequisite: Level 1 and experience/confidence in performing internal examinations. Pessary fitting is an advanced skill and it is not recommended to take the course if you are still becoming accustomed to performing internal exams.

* If you are a nurse or medical doctor who performs internal exams, you are welcome to register without the level 1 prerequisite - please mark profession on the registration form beside your name.

Recommended concurrent course: Clinical Update: SUI and POP Research and Management Review (4 hour online course)

Interested in hosting a lab? Reach out to PHS so we can bring pessary fittings to your region!