• Elections for board, IAB and committee positions now open
• 2015 Annual meeting
• Reminder about workshop proposal deadlines
• Meet the experts proposals reminder
• Abstract submission system opens November 4th
• Research grant opportunity
• Survey: Techniques for midurethral sling placement
• Join a special interest group
• Get your PFD Anatomical & Surgical flip chart now

If you don’t recall your IUGA web site log-in details, or are having difficulty accessing the members-only section of the website, please contact Amy Cassini, the Membership Manager, at amy@iuga.org. 

Elections for vice president, International Advisory Board members and committee members now open
On Tuesday, October 21, all IUGA members received an e-mail with instructions regarding how to participate in this year’s elections. A reminder e-mail was also sent on October 24. All members have the opportunity to vote for the vice president and Nominations Committee and Scientific Committee members.  Members in Europe and North America are also voting for their representatives on the International Advisory Board. Please take a moment to cast your ballot and help select IUGA’s leadership! If you have any questions about voting, please contact Nailah Metwally at nailah@iuga.org.

Call for 2015 Workshop Proposals Now Open
The workshop proposal submission system for the 2015 Annual Meeting is open. Please read the guidelines carefully.  All faculty should be confirmed before being included.  Proposals must detail any special requirements such as technology, room setup, or anatomical specimens for practical demonstrations.   The deadline to submit proposals is Monday, November 10, 2014 by 11:59pm EDT.  There will not be a deadline extension.  For any questions, contact Amanda Grabloski at amanda@iuga.org.

Please click the link below to begin your submission or for more information:

Meet the experts call for proposals
The ever popular “Meet the Experts” is back! We are asking all interested facilitators to complete and submit a short application along with their CV by December 1st to ensure transparency and fairness in the selection process.  The breakfast will be held on Friday, June 12th with a maximum of 20 tables.  To download the application form, please click here. For any questions, please email office@iuga.org.

Reminder: Abstract submissions open November 3rd
Abstract submissions will open on Tuesday, November 3rd. The deadline for submission will be February 1, 2015.  Keep an eye on your e-mail and on the abstract submission page on the 2015 web site at http://www.iugameeting.org/abstracts/ for more information.

Visit www.iugameeting.org for more information about the 2015 annual meeting.

Research Grant Opportunity:
IUGA, with the generous support of Uroplasty, is soliciting applications for research grant proposals within the clinical space of overactive bladder or fecal incontinence.  The amount of the grant will be $15,000. 

Submissions for this grant competition will be reviewed and awarded by the IUGA Research and Development Committee using their regular review processes, which involve peer-review.   The deadline for submissions is Wednesday, December 17, 2014. It will be awarded to one IUGA member who properly completes and submits the required application prior to the stated deadline.  Only complete applications that include all required material will be forwarded for review.  The notification of award will be announced at the end of February 2015. 

Click here to submit your grant application.

Survey: Techniques for midurethral sling placement
Dr. Javier Pizarro-Berdichevksy, a fellow at the Cleveland Clinic, with his colleagues, is conducting a research study about techniques used during midurethral sling placement. This study will survey the IUGA membership as to their preference in tensioning methods, their attitudes regarding the importance of tensioning, its direct impact on their practice, and the frequency with which they must address their own or another surgeon’s sling complication. Such a study will be valuable in capturing the broader relevance of this controversial topic in urogynecology and female urology. It is our hope that the data will further serve to help the community improve sling procedures, as they are a vital aspect of current clinical care. 

This survey is being conducted electronically and has been reviewed and approved by the IUGA Research and Development Committee. Please take a moment to complete the short survey by November 3, 2014 by clicking the link below.

https://contactmonkey.com/api/v1/tracker?cm_session=24e55280-a6f2-4fee-8aab-7ee150b9ba4a&cm_type=link&cm_link=c925f152-9aec-45d0-82c6-c53a9895060f&cm_destination=https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/slingsurvey

Your participation in this survey is greatly appreciated.

Join a special interest group
Join an IUGA special interest group to get more out of your IUGA membership. Joining a SIG will give you the opportunity to network with your peers while learning valuable information on special areas of interest within urogynecology. There are currently three established IUGA SIG’s:

• The Laparoscopic Surgery Group
• The Neuro-Urogynecology and Urogenital Pain Group
• The Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation Group

If you are interested in joining any of them, please visit our web site at http://www.iuga.org/?page=sig,  click on the link at the top of the page, ‘Join a SIG’, and complete and submit the form.

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Anatomical & Surgical Flip Charts for sale
$36.95 + shipping for members
The Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Anatomical & Surgical Chart is the perfect tool for physicians to use to help educate their patients about the various types of PFD and their treatments. The 8.5 x 14” full color chart contains prolapse, surgical and investigation and treatment images created by a medical illustrator. The member price is $36.95 + shipping and the non-member price is $49.95 plus shipping.

To view some of the flip chart’s content, please click here.
To order the chart, please click here.

IUGA would like to thank Boston Scientific for its generous unrestricted grant in support of printing this visual aid.