Why did you feel that it was important to write Walters & Karram Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, 5th Edition? What does it add to the field? 

Walters & Karram Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery has been the premier textbook in the field since its first edition was published in 1993. With the 5th edition, we provide the most up-to-date evidence on the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of female pelvic floor disorders.

What is the most exciting aspect of Walters & Karram Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, 5th Edition? What chapter or topic covered in the new edition are you most excited about? 

In this new edition, an all-new video collection has been included that demonstrates key diagnostic and surgical procedures. I am very excited about how these videos compliment the text and figures to provide a multi-modal educational experience. We also have added several new chapters including Refractory Overactive Bladder, Neurourology and Compliance Disorders, Interstitial Cystitis/Bladder Pain Syndrome and Urology for the Urogynecologist. We also have included treatment algorithms incorporating the most up to date guidelines to many chapters which should be very useful to readers.

Who will find the greatest value from this book and why? 

Practicing Gynecologists, Urologists and Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery specialists caring for women with pelvic floor disorders as well as Ob/gyn and Urology residents and fellows will find this book valuable.

What new ideas, practices, or procedures do you hope your readers take away from Walters & Karram Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, 5th Edition? 

I hope that readers will recognize the enormous evolution this relatively new specialty has undergone in the past 25 years. We now have a large body of exciting translational and clinical research available that has advanced the field and improved our ability to prevent and care for women with these prevalent conditions.

What problem do you hope the future generation of your specialty will be able to solve? 

I hope that we will continue to refine our ability to tailor our treatments to meet the individual goals of our patients; to be able to know what the right treatment is for the patient who is in front of us. I am also very excited about the role regenerative medicine techniques could play in our field, improving or even obviating the need for reconstructive surgery. 

Is there anything else about Walters & Karram Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, 5th Edition you’d like to say? 

I am incredibly grateful to be able to continue the legacy that Drs. Walters and Karram have created with this “classic” textbook. I am also grateful for contributions of my co-editors and the chapter authors. It is truly an all-star cast of thought leaders in our field.

About the Author

Matthew D. Barber, MD, MHS is the E.C. Hamblen Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Duke University School of Medicine. He has been caring for women with pelvic floor disorders, conducting clinical research to advance our treatment of these conditions and educating residents and fellows in this subspecialty for more than 20 years. 

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