Book Review: The Female Pelvic Floor: Function, Dysfunction and Management According to the Integral Theory, 3rd ed

It has been more than 20 years since the publication of the Integral Theory. Perhaps the best known product of that theory is the midurethral sling using synthetic mesh for female stress urinary incontinence. This book expands the theory beyond the midurethral sling and explains the female pelvic floor in detail. With rich and colorful illustrations, Dr. Petros clearly lays out the pelvic floor anatomy and shows how it is the basis for the Integral Theory. Further reading deals with diagnosing connective tissue damage in the female pelvis and how to reconstruct and rehabilitate it. The book then closes with current and emerging research issues. A welcome addition is the enclosed DVD that not only includes surgical videos but explanations of the Integral Theory using models of the female pelvic floor. This helps to break down the theory which can be somewhat complex without a visual aid. In this regard, the book is "user friendly" in facilitating the reader to understand the theory and its application. One last surprise is the beginning of the book which contains the preface and foreward by Dr. Petros and colleagues. It shows the evolution of the Integral Theory and a general overview of how it can evolve in the future. This nicely sets up the reader to yearn for the first chapter.