PESSARIES MASTERY
Advanced Pessary Selection, Fitting, and Clinical Reasoning
Move beyond standard pessary fitting and develop true mastery in pessary management.
Not every woman with pelvic organ prolapse is suited to a ring, cube, or Gellhorn pessary.
When standard options fail, clinicians need a deeper understanding of pelvic biomechanics, prolapse presentations, anatomy, symptoms, and patient goals to confidently select and manage more advanced pessary options.
The PESSARIES MASTERY Course is designed for experienced pelvic health clinicians who want to expand their clinical reasoning, broaden their pessary fitting skills, and successfully manage more complex prolapse cases.
This course focuses on helping you put together the entire clinical puzzle, using patient symptoms, pelvic floor function, lifestyle factors, prolapse measurements, levator ani assessment findings, and biomechanical principles to determine the best pessary solution for each individual woman.
Why Choose This Course?
Many clinicians become comfortable fitting ring, cube, and Gellhorn pessaries.
However, it is often the more complex cases that challenge even experienced practitioners.
What happens when:
- The standard pessary doesn't work?
- Symptoms don't match the prolapse stage?
- The pessary repeatedly fails?
- The patient has unusual anatomy?
- Multiple compartments are involved?
- Previous fitting attempts have been unsuccessful?
This course helps you answer those questions with confidence.
You'll develop advanced clinical reasoning skills and gain practical experience with a wider range of pessary types, allowing you to support women with increasingly complex prolapse presentations.
What You'll Learn
Advanced Clinical Reasoning for Pessary Selection
Learn how to integrate:
- Patient symptoms
- Lifestyle and activity demands
- POP-Q findings
- Prolapse location and severity
- Levator hiatus dimensions
- Levator ani muscle function
- Vaginal dimensions
- Pelvic floor support characteristics
Advanced Pessary Fitting Skills
Gain practical experience with a broad range of pessaries, including:
- Hodge
- Donut
- Marland
- Dish
- Gehrung
- Shelf
- Cup
- Shaatz
- Reia
- Oval
You'll also review current best practice for:
- Ring
- Cube
- Gellhorn
This course focuses on understanding:
- Why to choose a particular pessary
- When it is indicated
- How to fit it correctly
- Troubleshooting common issues
- Long-term management strategies
Advanced Pelvic Organ Prolapse Assessment
To ensure all participants are working from the same advanced foundation, the course includes a focused review of:
- POP-Q assessment
- Prolapse staging
- Levator ani avulsion assessment
- Advanced vaginal assessment techniques
- Clinical interpretation of findings
- Speculum examination practice
For clinicians who have completed our PESSARIES FOUNDATIONS Course, this serves as valuable revision and refinement of existing skills.
Complex Case Discussions
Please note: This course focuses on assessment for pessary suitability and does not teach diagnosis of gynaecological pathologies.
Please note: This course focuses on assessment for pessary suitability and does not teach diagnosis of gynaecological pathologies.
- Pessary selection criteria
- Fitting techniques
- Removal and replacement procedures
- Troubleshooting common issues
- Follow-up protocols
- Patient self-management strategies
- Recognising complications and when to refer
Practice Management and Business Systems
One of the most valuable aspects of this course is the practical framework you'll receive to help implement pessary services within your clinic.
You'll be provided with professionally developed resources including:
- Medical Screening Forms
- Patient Consent Forms
- Patient Education Handouts
- Pessary Information Booklets
- Self-Management Documentation
- Clinical Reporting Templates
- Recall and Follow-Up Systems
- Infection Control Protocols
- Equipment and Consumables Suppliers Guide
- Inventory Tracking Templates
- Clinical Governance Resources
You'll also receive access to "The Beast", Simon's comprehensive inventory and recall tracking system designed specifically for pessary management services.
Ongoing Support and Certification
Learning doesn't stop when the course ends.
To support your transition into clinical practice, you will receive:
- Access to a private online support forum for 12 months.
- Monthly live Q&A sessions with Dr Melissa Davidson for 12 months.
- Ongoing troubleshooting support.
- Networking opportunities with fellow clinicians.
- Clinical discussion and mentoring.
Competency Pathway
To ensure safe and effective clinical practice, participants complete a structured competency programme following the course.
Requirements include:
- Access to a private online support forum for 12 months.
- Monthly live Q&A sessions with Dr Melissa Davidson for 12 months.
- Ongoing troubleshooting support.
- Networking opportunities with fellow clinicians.
- Clinical discussion and mentoring.
Course Outcomes
PLACEHOLDER
- Confidently conduct comprehensive pelvic health assessments.
- Perform vaginal and rectal examinations safely and professionally.
- Understand what normal and abnormal findings may present as.
- Identify common pelvic floor dysfunctions across all genders.
- Develop appropriate treatment plans and referral pathways.
- Begin practising as a pelvic health clinician with confidence.
Who Is This Course For?
This course is suitable for experienced registered health professionals who assess and manage women with pelvic organ prolapse, including:
- Nurse Practitioners
- Registered Nurses
- Clinical Nurse Specialists
- Physiotherapists
- General Practitioners
- Gynaecologists
- Osteopaths
- Women's Health Clinicians
- Other registered health professionals
Participants typically attend from a wide range of clinical backgrounds, creating a valuable multidisciplinary learning environment.
Learn From an Expert
Dr Melissa Davidson is New Zealand's only Specialist Physiotherapist in Pelvic Health and has more than 35 years of clinical experience.
Known for her engaging teaching style and evidence-based approach, Melissa makes complex pelvic health concepts easy to understand and immediately applicable in practice.
Read more in About Us
What Participants Say
"This course not only gives you everything you need to safely and competently fit and manage pessaries, but also thorough, evidence-based and up-to-date knowledge on pelvic organ prolapse." - Sara, Physiotherapist
"This comprehensive training course enabled me to feel competent and confident to assess, fit, and manage vaginal pessaries. The multidisciplinary learning experience was excellent." - Kate, Clinical Nurse Specialist
"As a GP with an interest in women's health, I found the skills learned essential. Highly informative and practical." - Christina, General Practitioner
"This course gave me the knowledge, skills, and administrative systems to be able to fit and manage pessaries in my patients. Melissa created a welcoming and non-intimidating environment." - Simone, Osteopath
"Melissa and Simon present a very comprehensive learning package, complete with post-course competencies and ongoing support. Highly recommend. It is worth every cent and every minute of your time." - Sharon, Nurse Practitioner