Evaluation of Vaginal and Urinary Microbiome Markers as Predictors of Post-Surgical Urinary Tract Infection
Evaluation of Vaginal and Urinary Microbiome Markers as Predictors of Post-Surgical Urinary Tract Infection
The purpose of this study is to learn more about the microbes (bacteria) that live in the vagina and the bladder. The investigators are doing this research study to understand the relationship between microbes (the microbiome) and the occurrence of urinary tract infection following surgical removal of the uterus and pelvic organ prolapse repair. The investigators expect Lactobacillus and Gardnerella will be the dominant organisms for most women. Non-Lactobacillus dominant microbiome communities will be more common in women who ultimately develop postoperative urinary tract infection.
The goal of this pilot study is to characterize the presence and stability of the microbial community in the vagina and lower urinary tract in a cohort of 20 postmenopausal women undergoing transvaginal hysterectomy with pelvic reconstruction for pelvic organ prolapse. The investigators intend to collect longitudinal samples in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative time period in order to understand the pervasiveness of the microbes in the vagina and lower urinary tract, and to identify, in a very preliminary way, particular microbes that may be associated with postoperative urinary tract infection.
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