Pelvic organ prolapse prevalence, risk factors, and incidence will be reviewed, and we will break down how different POP presentations affect your pessary selection.

We will discuss other conservative management strategies such as lifestyle changes/modifications, pelvic floor training, weight loss, and bowel and bladder health. Surgical options for pelvic organ prolapse will be reviewed.

Precautions and contraindications for pessaries will be discussed. We will dive deep into the  clinical indications that suggest pessaries will be a suitable option for the patient.

Speculum use will be taught, with the focus on assessing vaginal mucosa integrity and the cervix. This training is to ensure the vaginal muscosa appears suitable for the use of pessaries. We are not covering speculum asssessments for pelvic pathologies. (Note: If you register for the PESSARIES Intro course, you do not need to book for the Speculum Workshop as well. The PESSARIES Intro course covers the same content.)

Objective measurements of prolapse will be taught using POP-Q staging, SPOP-Q staging, and Baden-Walker grading. Outcome measures for assessing symptoms and quality of life will also be discussed to ensure you know that your patients' symptoms are improving with pessary use.

You will learn practical skills on how to select the pessary based on your bio-mechanical assessment of the patients' vaginal dimensions and levator ani muscles.

Fitting of the three most common pessaries used (ring, cube, and Gellhorn) will be taught and completed as part of your course practicals. We use multiple fitting kits on the course to ensure you can trial different sizes and shapes on the course in a safe environment if you choose peer-to-peer learning. 

We also have advanced silicone vaginal models that we use on the course to teach speculum exams, POP-Q staging, levator ani muscle avulsion palpation assessments, and pessary fitting. This unique vaginal model, named 'Lily' after the Mt Cook native wild flower, is a world first in silicone models. It gives the participant as close as possible, realistic experiences, enabling safe practice of new techniques.  

Your lying and standing assessments will be checked and we will review your POP assessment skills.

Learning when and how to refer on for medical reviews when signs of complications or abnormalities will be discussed as well as when to refer onto allied health professionals.

You will be taking home three sample pessaries of each type to use for patient education.

Business and recall systems, and how to manage these within your patient management system will be discussed. Common suppliers of equipment and consumables, infection control measures, and fitting kit cleaning protocols will be provided.

Patient reports, patient medical screening request form, and patient education handouts (consent, self-management, and information on pessaries) will be reviewed and original templates will be given to you to use in your clinic.

You will also be given a copy of "The Beast", an complex Excel spreadsheet created by Simon – used for tracking all inventory related to pessary management, including supplies, fitting kit tracking, pessary tracking, and recall tracking.

We also offer ongoing support in a private forum for the first 12 months after the course is completed to all course participants. This is for information sharing, trouble shooting, asking clinical questions, networking, etc.

As part of the post-course requirements, we will be asking you to complete a logbook of the speculum exams completed, pessary fittings completed, a case study, a reflective statement, and a peer review. These activities will need to be completed after the practical day over the following 6 to 12 months. We will also be asking to see a summary of your recall system, and health and safety procedures around pessary management in your clinic. Melissa will be reviewing and assessing all of these competency documents. These requirements are to ensure you reach acceptable skill and safety levels in all areas of pessary management.

Once you have completed your competency documentation successfully, your certificate of completion of the course will be issued.

You must be a registered health professional in good standing in your home country. Registration must be with the appropriate health professional board such as Physiotherapy Board of NZ, AHPRA boards in Australia, Osteopathic Council of NZ, The Nursing Council of NZ, Medical Council of NZ, etc.

This course includes approximately 4+ hours of practical sessions. We have advanced realistic silicone vaginal models available to practice levator ani avulsion assessments, speculum examinations, POP-Q measures, and fitting of ring, cube, and Gellhorn pessaries.

We also have multiple fitting kits available for those who wish to use peer-to-peer learning for their practical sessions. If you wish to do peer-to-peer learning, it involves internal examinations with participants practicing on each other during the practical sessions. By using peer-to-peer learning, participants gain vital learning on how it feels to be a patient, as well as a health professional, ensuring you gain well rounded experiential learning. This course allows people of all genders an opportunity to learn from each other and gain vital, practical clinical skills. If you have specific requirements around genders, culture, trauma history, or something else during peer-to-peer learning, this will be taken into account so you are completely comfortable if you wish to take part. Informed consent is discussed in detail on the course, and you will have the ability to consent or not consent to internal examination at the time of the assessments if you choose to take part in peer-to-peer learning.

You can also choose to combine using the silicone model and peer-to-peer learning, its up to you.

This course is not eligible for a cashback discount for Pelvic Health CONNECT members.

Course fees:

For New Zealand Locations - NZ$1,495 (incl GST) for the two-day course.

For Australian Locations - AUD$1,595 for the two-day course.