The impact on complication rates of delayed routine pessary reviews during the covid-19 pandemic: a retrospective comparative cohort study.

The objective of this study was to identify if delayed routine pessary reviews during the covid-19 pandemic (as per the guidance from Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and British Society of Urogynaecology) led to an increase in complication rates. A retrospective comparative cohort study was conducted in NHS Tayside, Scotland involving 300 patients (150 pre-pandemic and 150 during the covid-19 pandemic). Their notes were reviewed to identify age, care provider, pessary type, length of pessary usage, review date, timeframe from previous review, bleeding/infection/ulceration, removal issues, pessary replacement and outcome. Exclusion criteria was applied: Patients with no pessary insitu at review, reviews at 8 months (pre-pandemic) and reviews at