SUMMARY
The research of Sherif A. El Nashar, M.B., B.Ch., M.S., pertains to women's health and gynecological surgery with an emphasis on quality and safety outcomes after surgery. His research strives to improve outcomes for patients undergoing gynecological and pelvic reconstructive surgeries.
Dr. El Nashar seeks to determine which patients are likely to benefit from certain gynecological interventions or surgeries. Through this research, he hopes to improve patient and physician decision-making, resulting in better treatment and reducing surgical complications.
Focus areas
Pelvic organ prolapse surgery. Dr. El Nashar studies outcomes after various surgeries done to treat pelvic organ prolapse, especially in older women.
Dr. El Nashar and his colleagues use the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database to compare outcomes in women 80 years and older to those in younger women. These comparisons help care teams better understand the safest surgeries that match patients' needs and have the least potential complications.
Postoperative urinary tract infections (UTIs) and voiding dysfunction. Dr. El Nashar and his colleagues study UTIs after gynecological surgery. This research helps both define the risk factors of specific types of UTIs and reduce those types of infections.
Voiding dysfunction plays a role in developing postoperative UTIs. Dr. El Nashar and his colleagues explore the use of medications to enhance voiding after surgery. This method is used in clinical practice to help patients after urogynecological procedures.
- Catheter-related UTIs (CAUTIs). Based on their research experience in postoperative UTIs, Dr. El Nashar and his colleagues are helping prevent CAUTIs. These are associated with poor outcomes for patients who have been admitted to the hospital. Using machine learning — a branch of artificial intelligence — helps identify patients who are at higher risk and prevent infections.
Significance to patient care
Improving surgical outcomes is an important part of Dr. El Nashar's research. Understanding the factors influencing surgical outcomes helps patients and their health care professionals select the best treatment plans. When health care teams can tell which patients are likely to benefit from specific types of surgery, they can provide individualized guidance.
This individualized care will ultimately improve patients' success and satisfaction with their surgeries. Dr. El Nashar researches surgical outcomes and the risk factors associated with them to determine which patients are at risk of poor outcomes. Dr. El Nashar's research strives to prevent these poor outcomes.