Division Director: Dr Juan Diego Villegas 

The FIGO Division of Benign Surgery includes three committees the Minimal Access Surgery Committee, the Urogynaecology Committee and the Obstetric Fistula Committee who have collaborated on the creation of a statement on patient access to benign surgery.  

Division Director Dr Juan Diego Villegas highlighted,

These three committees are very important from a surgical point of view, but also because of their impact on women's wellbeing and quality of life. Our committees have worked intensively on projects to improve access, visibility and above all, the possibility for women to have better quality health services and care. The division has just launched a statement about patient access to benign surgery, where we aim to raise awareness about the need for not only providers and physicians, but also patients to be aware that women should have adequate and priority access to gynaecological surgery. The right surgeon, the right surgery, at the right time.  That is one of the most important goals of our division. 

Committee on Minimal Access Surgery 

Committee Chair: Dr Megan Wasson 

In 2022 the Committee on Minimal Access Surgery concentrated its main mission to decrease laparotomy worldwide.  

Committee Chair Dr Megan Wasson said regarding progress,

With that mission, we are working on a position statement to really highlight the importance of minimal access surgery for every woman around the world, not just in high income countries, but also bringing minimal access surgery to low- and middle-income countries as well.

Committee on Obstetric Fistula 

Committee Chair: Dr Rachel Pope

The FIGO Committee on Obstetric Fistula has also made strong progress this year.  

Committee Chair Dr Rachel Pope said,

We have a fantastic FIGO group and training for obstetric fistula surgeons, which we're super proud of. And this year they've made some great accomplishments, including publishing a revised manual for obstetric fistula training, continuing to push forward with high quality training throughout sub-Saharan Africa and Asia as well, which is a feat in and of itself during the pandemic. So those are two of our big prides that are continuing to grow and continue to expand. We also have been working with the group for obstetric guidelines on labor so that we can include some preventive aspects for that that are correlated to obstetric fistula formations.

Committee on Urogyneacology and Pelvic Floor Disorders 

Chair: Dr Gabriel Yao-Kumah Ganyaglo 

The Committee on Urogynaecology started off the year by contribution to FIGO's commemoration of the International Women's Day.  

Committee Chair Dr Gabriel Ganyaglo said,

As a committee, we have been concerned also about the content of urogynaecology in OBGYN residency programmes. So, we have initiated a project which has been written. In Cartagena, were we contributed to meetings with the experts, and breakout session with four presentations. And we also delivered a keynote address. So, we contributed significantly to the scientific program of the meeting.