Chronic Pelvic Pain, Hernias and the General Surgeon

A case in point is the "disease" chronic pelvic pain: disease defined as "any deviation from or interruption of the normal structure or function of any part, organ, or system of the body that is manifested by a characteristic set of symptoms and signs and whose etiology, pathology, and prognosis may be known or unknown." Three main dimensions characterize chronic pelvic pain and include: 1) duration-any type of pelvic pain lasting six months or longer; 2) anatomic-pelvic pain defined by physical findings at laparoscopy; and 3) affective/behavioral-pain accompanied by significantly altered physical activity such as work, recreation, and sex, and changes in mood related to the chronic pain. Most standard laboratory tests in this group of patients, including the complete blood count, barium enema, ultrasound and CT scan, are typically within normal limits.