Forty Years of Urogynaecology

In 1986, when UROGYNAECOLOGIA International Journal was founded in Rome, urogynaecology was still seeking a clearly defined identity between gynaecology and urology. The Journal was created with a simple but ambitious purpose: to provide a scientific forum devoted to female pelvic floor disorders and to bring together clinicians and researchers from different disciplines. Forty years later, looking back at its first issue means looking not only at the history of a journal but also at the remarkable evolution of an entire medical field.

A Discipline Transformed

Over these four decades, urogynaecology has changed profoundly. Diagnostic methods have become more sophisticated; imaging, urodynamics and validated patient-reported outcomes have improved our understanding of pelvic floor dysfunction. Surgical treatment has evolved from conventional open and vaginal procedures to increasingly refined minimally invasive and robotic approaches, while experience with prosthetic materials has taught important lessons about efficacy, complications and patient selection. At the same time, conservative treatment, pelvic floor rehabilitation, pharmacological therapy and neuromodulation have assumed an increasingly important role. Most importantly, the focus of treatment has progressively shifted from anatomical correction alone to the woman's symptoms, sexual function, quality of life, expectations and individual preferences.

An International Journal

From the beginning, the word “International” in the Journal’s title represented both an aspiration and a commitment. Over the years, its Editorial Boards and contributors have included specialists from many countries, while the Journal became closely associated with the development of Italian urogynaecology and with the scientific activities of medical Associations. The transition from printed issues to digital and open-access publishing marked another fundamental step. Today, UROGYNAECOLOGIA International Journal is a peer-reviewed open-access journal indexed in international databases including Scopus, SCImago, DOAJ and OpenAlex. For a specialised journal born as an independent scientific initiative in Rome, reaching its fortieth anniversary while remaining active in the international scientific literature is an achievement shared by everyone who has contributed to its history.

A Personal Reflection

For me, this anniversary inevitably has a personal meaning. When I founded the Journal in 1986, I could hardly have imagined that forty years later I would still have the privilege of serving as its Editor-in-Chief. I have seen generations of physicians enter our discipline, diagnostic concepts change, new surgical techniques emerge, and urogynaecology develop from an area shared between different specialties into a mature multidisciplinary field with its own scientific identity. The Journal's continuity has never been the achievement of one person. It has depended on the colleagues who served on its Editorial Boards, the reviewers who devoted their time and expertise, the authors who entrusted us with their work, the scientific societies that supported its mission, and the readers who gave meaning to every page published. To all of them, past and present, I express my deepest gratitude. I also remember with affection and respect those colleagues who contributed to the Journal's early years and are no longer with us.

Looking Forward

An anniversary should not only invite us to look back. It should encourage us to look ahead. Artificial intelligence, advanced imaging, personalised medicine, new biomaterials, neuromodulation and robotic technologies will continue to transform our field. Scientific journals, in turn, must preserve rigorous peer review, scientific integrity and critical thinking while adapting to an increasingly rapid circulation of knowledge. UROGYNAECOLOGIA International Journal must continue to strengthen its international character, encourage high-quality research and collaboration across disciplines, and offer younger investigators a rigorous scientific forum. Forty years ago, the Journal began with the conviction that female pelvic floor disorders deserved a dedicated space in which different specialties could meet. That conviction remains valid today. As Founder and Editor-in-Chief, I celebrate this anniversary not as the conclusion of a journey, but as another stage in a journey that continues. To everyone who has accompanied UROGYNAECOLOGIA International Journal during these forty years, my sincere thanks.

The first forty years belong to our history. The years ahead belong to those who will continue to question, investigate and innovate.

Ad maiora.

Maurizio Bologna
Founder and Editor-in-Chief
UROGYNAECOLOGIA International Journal
Rome, 2026