ABSTRACT
Genitourinary (GU) fistula is a devastating condition that leads to decreased quality of life due to incontinence. The surgeon who can cure someone of their leakage caused by vesicovaginal/uterine fistula can truly make a difference in the patient's life. The best opportunity for success lies in the initial diagnosing and treating surgeon's hands. GU fistulas are composed of any nonanatomic communication between the urinary tract (ureters, bladder, and urethra) and vagina, cervix, or uterus. While fistula repair can be approached in myriad ways, the most effective way of closure lies with the approach with which the surgeon is most comfortable. In this chapter, the indications and techniques for transabdominal surgical management of vesicovaginal and vesicouterine fistula (VVF, VUF) will be discussed. The reader is directed to other chapters to further learn diagnosis/evaluation and transvaginal techniques for management of GU fistulas.
