Perineology is a speciality dealing with the functional troubles of the three axis (urological

Urology

Urology is the medical and surgical specialty that focuses on the urinary tracts of males and females, and on the reproductive system of males. Medical professionals specializing in the field of urology are called urologists and are trained to diagnose, treat, and manage patients with urological...

, gynaecological

Gynaecology

Gynaecology or gynecology is the medical practice dealing with the health of the female reproductive system . Literally, outside medicine, it means "the science of women"...

 and coloproctological) of the female perineum

Perineum

In human anatomy, the perineum is a region of the body including the perineal body and surrounding structures...

. The perineologist who is the architect of perineum must have an holistic approach

Holistic health

Holistic health is a concept in medical practice upholding that all aspects of people's needs, psychological, physical and social should be taken into account and seen as a whole. As defined above, the holistic view on treatment is widely accepted in medicine...

 of the woman using defect specific and mini-invasive treatments.

First citation of the word Perineology

"The word perineology represents a neologism. Many specialties have split into subspecialties. From surgery

Surgery

Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...

 and from gastroenterology

Gastroenterology

Gastroenterology is the branch of medicine whereby the digestive system and its disorders are studied. The name is a combination of three Ancient Greek words gaster , enteron , and logos...

 derived proctology

Proctology

Colorectal surgery is a field in medicine, dealing with disorders of the rectum, anus, and colon. The field is also known as proctology, but the term is outdated in the more traditional areas of medicine...

. The latter needs now an evolution, mainly for its functional aspects. The proctologist cannot restrict his competence to the posterior perineum, as the urologist and the gynaecologist, when evaluating the pelvic floor

Pelvic floor

The pelvic floor or pelvic diaphragm is composed of muscle fibers of the levator ani, the coccygeus, and associated connective tissue which span the area underneath the pelvis. The pelvic diaphragm is a muscular partition formed by the levatores ani and coccygei, with which may be included the...

and its diseases, must take into account the posterior compartment. A unitary view of the pelvic organs function then creates a sort of superspecialty that must open new spaces to the research insuring to the patients more rational solutions. Perineology is then a medical branch of which we probably will hear talking more and more in the future." (G. Dodi, RICP 1990; 9: 113
)

External links

• European Perineology Group - GEP Up to date information about this new speciality by the group who has defined the concept.
• Pelviperineology The Open Access Journal who consider all the compartments of the pelvis and of the perineum, with the body around and the mind above, as a single unit.