A randomized controlled trial of permanent vs absorbable suture for uterosacral ligament suspension.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Uterosacral ligament suspension (USLS) is a common procedure for apical pelvic organ prolapse. The procedure has been described using only permanent suture, only absorbable suture and a combination of permanent and absorbable suture. We hypothesized that the use of absorbable suture is not inferior to the use of permanent suture. METHODS: All women undergoing USLS between October 2016 and November 2017 were approached. Subjects were randomized to permanent or absorbable suture. The primary outcome was POP-Q point C 12 months after surgery (non-inferiority limit = 2 cm). A composite outcome of success at 12 months was defined as no apical prolapse ≥ 1/2 TVL, no prolapse beyond the hymen, no prolapse retreatment and no bulge symptoms. RESULTS: Forty-four subjects with mean (SD) age 62.9 (12.0) years and body mass index 29.1 (5.4) kg/m2 were enrolled and underwent USLS. Fifteen (34.1%) had POP-Q stage II and 29 (65.9%) stage III prolapse. Twenty-two were randomized to permanent and 22 to absorbable suture. Forty (90.9%) completed the 12-month follow-up. Median (IQR) POP-Q point C at 12 months was -7 (-10, -6) for the permanent and - 7 (-9, -5.5) for the absorbable suture groups (p = 0.65, non-inferiority p < 0.0002). Four (20%) in the permanent and one (5%) in the absorbable suture group reported bulge symptoms (p = 0.34). Fifteen (75%) in the permanent and 18 (90%) in the absorbable suture groups met criteria for composite success (p = 0.41). Intervention-related adverse outcomes were uncommon and not different between groups. CONCLUSION: Absorbable suture for USLS is not inferior to permanent suture for apical anatomic outcomes.

Alterations of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A Expression and Microvessel Density Associated With Polypropylene Vaginal Mesh.

OBJECTIVE: Vaginal mesh exposure is the most common complication from mesh use in prolapse and incontinence surgery. Angiogenesis is an essential component of tissue healing, and defective angiogenesis plays a role in chronic wounds. We hypothesized that patients with exposures will have impaired angiogenesis as evidenced by altered tissue vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) expression and microvessel density. The study objective was to compare angiogenesis in women with vaginal mesh exposures, those with vaginal mesh without exposures, and in women who were mesh-naive. METHODS: Patients undergoing polypropylene mesh removal and patients without mesh undergoing urinary incontinence or prolapse surgery were recruited. Full-thickness vaginal epithelial biopsies were obtained. The relative abundance of VEGFA RNA was measured with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The VEGFA and CD31 immunohistochemistry were also performed. RESULTS: Ninety-two subjects were enrolled and biopsied. Mean age (SD) was 57.2 (12.8) years, 16 (17.4%) were smokers, and 68 (73.9%) were postmenopausal.The VEGFA RNA expression did not differ between subjects with mesh exposure and with mesh but no exposure (P = 0.89). However, compared with subjects with no mesh, vaginal VEGFA expression was decreased in subjects with any implanted mesh (relative expression, 0.72; P = 0.02). Microvessel density was increased in subjects with mesh exposure compared with subjects with no mesh (P < 0.01). The VEGFA expression by immunohistochemistry was significantly lower in postmenopausal subjects without estrogen treatment compared with premenopausal and postmenopausal subjects being treated with estrogen (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of polypropylene mesh and hormonal status are associated with evidence of altered angiogenesis.

Social Experiences of Women with Obstetric Fistula Seeking Treatment in Kampala, Uganda.

BACKGROUND: Obstetric fistula is a preventable and treatable condition predominately affecting women in low-income countries. Understanding the social context of obstetric fistula may lead to improved prevention and treatment. OBJECTIVES: This study investigated social experiences of women with obstetric fistula seeking treatment at Mulago Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. METHODS: A descriptive study was conducted among women seeking treatment for obstetric fistula during a surgical camp in July 2011 using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were computed regarding sociodemographics, obstetric history, and social experience. FINDINGS: Fifty-three women participated; 39 (73.58%) leaked urine only. Median age was 29 years (range: 17-58), and most were married or separated. About half (28, 47.9%) experienced a change in their relationship since acquiring obstetric fistula. More than half (27, 50.94%) acquired obstetric fistula during their first delivery, despite almost everyone (50, 94.3%) receiving antenatal care. The median years suffering from obstetric fistula was 1.25. Nearly every participant's social participation changed in at least one setting (51, 96.23%). Most women thought that a baby being too big or having kicked their bladder was the cause of obstetric fistula. Other participants thought health care providers caused the fistula (15, 32.61%; n = 46), with 8 specifying that the bladder was cut during the operation (cesarean section). Knowing someone with obstetric fistula was influential in pursuing treatment. The majority of participants planned to return to family (40, 78.43%; n = 51) and get pregnant after repair (35, 66.04%; n = 53). CONCLUSION: Study participants experienced substantial changes in their social lives as a result of obstetric fistula, and there were a variety of beliefs regarding the cause. The complex social context is an important component to understanding how to prevent and treat obstetric fistula. Further elucidation of these factors may bolster current efforts in prevention and holistic treatment.

Do patient characteristics impact the relationship between anatomic prolapse and vaginal bulge symptoms?

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Seeing or feeling a vaginal bulge is the most specific symptom for identifying prolapse. Bulge symptoms are becoming increasingly important as a surgical outcome measure. Our objectives were to identify patient characteristics associated with the symptom of a vaginal bulge and to determine whether those characteristics impact the relationship between symptoms and anatomic prolapse. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of new urogynecology patients was performed. Standardized history and examination forms were used. Patient characteristics associated with vaginal bulge at p ≤0.10 were entered in logistic regression models. Interactions between patient characteristics and prolapse were tested to determine whether patient factors modified the association between anatomic prolapse and symptoms. RESULTS: We evaluated 685 patients with mean age of 58.5 years. Patients reporting a vaginal bulge were slightly older, more likely postmenopausal, and had greater parity and body mass index (BMI). They were more likely to report prior prolapse surgery (p <0.05) and more often previously underwent hysterectomy (p = 0.10). In multivariable analysis, prolapse, age group, and vaginal parity were associated with the bulge symptom. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) was 0.87 [95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.84-0.90], suggesting good predictive value of maximum vaginal descent for a vaginal bulge symptom. The AUC for the youngest women was lower than for middle and older age groups (p < 0.01). The optimal cutoff for defining prolapse associated with a vaginal bulge symptom was the hymen. CONCLUSIONS: Age and vaginal parity were independently associated with the vaginal bulge symptom. The level of vaginal descent did not predict a bulge symptom as accurately in younger patients.

Magnetic resonance imaging in assessment of stress urinary incontinence in women: Parameters differentiating urethral hypermobility and intrinsic sphincter deficiency.

AIM: To define the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters differentiating urethral hypermobility (UH) and intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD) in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). METHODS: The static and dynamic MR images of 21 patients with SUI were correlated to urodynamic (UD) findings and compared to those of 10 continent controls. For the assessment of the urethra and integrity of the urethral support structures, we applied the high-resolution endocavitary MRI, such as intraurethral MRI, endovaginal or endorectal MRI. For the functional imaging of the urethral support, we performed dynamic MRI with the pelvic phased array coil. We assessed the following MRI parameters in both the patient and the volunteer groups: (1) urethral angle; (2) bladder neck descent; (3) status of the periurethral ligaments, (4) vaginal shape; (5) urethral sphincter integrity, length and muscle thickness at mid urethra; (6) bladder neck funneling; (7) status of the puborectalis muscle; (8) pubo-vaginal distance. UDs parameters were assessed in the patient study group as follows: (1) urethral mobility angle on Q-tip test; (2) Valsalva leak point pressure (VLPP) measured at 250 cc bladder volume; and (3) maximum urethral closure pressure (MUCP). The UH type of SUI was defined with the Q-tip test angle over 30 degrees, and VLPP pressure over 60 cm H2O. The ISD incontinence was defined with MUCP pressure below 20 cm H2O, and VLPP pressure less or equal to 60 cm H2O. We considered the associations between the MRI and clinical data and UDs using a variety of statistical tools to include linear regression, multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. All statistical analyses were performed using STATA version 9.0 (StataCorp LP, College Station, TX). RESULTS: In the incontinent group, 52% have history of vaginal delivery trauma as compared to none in control group (P < 0.001). There was no difference between the continent volunteers and incontinent patients in body habitus as assessed by the body mass index. Pubovaginal distance and periurethral ligament disruption are significantly associated with incontinence; periurethral ligament symmetricity reduces the odds of incontinence by 87%. Bladder neck funneling and length of the suprapubic urethral sphincter are significantly associated with the type of incontinence on UDs; funneling reduced the odds of pure UH by almost 95%; increasing suprapubic urethral sphincter length at rest is highly associated with UH. Both MRI variables result in a predictive model for UDs diagnosis (area under the ROC = 0.944). CONCLUSION: MRI may play an important role in assessing the contribution of hypermobility and sphincteric dysfunction to the SUI in women when considering treatment options.

Sling procedures after repair of obstetric vesicovaginal fistula in Niamey, Niger.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the results of sling procedures for stress incontinence after repair of vesicovaginal fistulae at the National Hospital in Niamey, Niger. METHODS: This study is a retrospective chart review of 701 women surgically treated for vesicovaginal fistulae. One hundred forty women subsequently underwent a sling procedure for stress incontinence after fistula repair. RESULTS: The demographics among the groups were similar. No significant difference was seen in results between the sling types except the risk of erosion was significantly greater in the synthetic sling group. There was a trend towards greater sling success in the fascia lata group. CONCLUSIONS: Correction of incontinence is a common and difficult challenge following repair of obstetric vesicovaginal fistula. Compared to published studies on sling procedures, these patients have higher rates of continued incontinence. This is likely due to the frequent loss of a urethral sphincter as well as high prevalence of detrusor overactivity and decreased bladder capacity.

Female urinary incontinence: pathophysiology, methods of evaluation and role of MR imaging.

Urinary incontinence (UI) is one of the most common conditions that cause a significant psychosocial and hygienic problem in an aging female population. In this article we focus on the sphincteric type of stress UI in women, review the anatomy of the urethral sphincter and its support mechanism, and discuss methods of the evaluation of urethral function. Stress UI is the functional consequence of an anatomical abnormality, urethral hypermobility (UH) and intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD). Imaging plays an adjunct role to urodynamics in the assessment of women with UI. MR imaging due to its superior soft tissue contrast resolution contributes many findings that are predictive of UH, such as abnormal descent of the bladder neck, disruption of periurethral ligaments and vaginal attachments, and defects within the levator ani muscle. In ISD, MR imaging may show foreshortening or thinning of the sphincter muscle and bladder neck insufficiency manifested by funneling. MR imaging is ideal to evaluate the anatomy of the bladder neck and urethra; functional implications correlate well with functional studies and make MR imaging central to understanding the causes of stress UI and its thorough evaluation.

Repair of obstetric vesicovaginal fistulas in Africa.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to show the outcomes of primary surgical repair of obstetric vesicovaginal fistula repairs in Niger, Africa. STUDY DESIGN: From October 2003 to April 2005, 90 patients were examined with vesicovaginal fistulas and no previous repair. Fistulas were variable in location and degree of scarring and ranged up to 7 cm in size. All patients were offered surgical repair. Primary repair was performed in 73 women. RESULTS: Successful primary closure was achieved in 41 patients (56%); 19 patients were lost to follow up, and 13 patients had a persistent fistula. Incontinence, despite fistula closure, was present in 9 patients. Common features of failure and/or incontinence included larger size, involvement of the urethrovesical junction, and scarring. CONCLUSION: The initial repair of vesicovaginal fistulas has the highest probability of success. The successful closure is dependent on size, site, and associated scarring.

A urogynecologist's view ofthe pelvic floor effects of vaginal delivery/cesarean section for the urologist.

Pregnancy and parturition have been implicated in the development of pelvic floor dysfunction. These disorders include urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and other pelvic and sexual dysfunctions. The urologist caring for women with urinary dysfunction needs to be familiar with the causes of pelvic floor dysfunction and their implications. Defects of the pelvic floor have clearly resulted from the traumatic effect of vaginal delivery. The likely mechanisms of injuries during vaginal delivery involve stretching and compression of the pudendal nerve and peripheral branches, as well as an additional tearing of muscles and connective tissue. Optimal management of labor and optimal techniques of repair of unavoidable sphincteric lacerations, ante- and postpartum pelvic floor muscle conditioning, and timely and proper indications for cesarean delivery will minimize the effect of incidental traumatic delivery.

MR imaging of the female urethra and supporting ligaments in assessment of urinary incontinence: spectrum of abnormalities.

The traditional methods for evaluation of urinary incontinence in women include urodynamics, cystourethroscopy, cystourethrography, and ultrasonography. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has not played a major role in the assessment of women with urinary incontinence. However, high-resolution MR imaging allows detailed visualization of the urethral sphincter and supporting ligaments in women and may contribute to the diagnosis and staging of sphincteric incompetence related to intrinsic sphincter deficiency or urethral hypermobility. Both the anatomy and the function of the female urethra can be depicted on MR images. The spectrum of abnormalities detected at MR imaging in women with stress urinary incontinence are classified as (a) findings related to the urethral sphincter deficiency and (b) defects of the urethral support ligaments and urethral hypermobility. These abnormalities include a small urethral sphincter, funneling at the bladder neck, distortion of the urethral support ligaments, cystocele, an asymmetric pubococcygeus muscle, abnormal shape of the vagina, enlargement of the retropubic space, and an increased vesicourethral angle.

Severe vulvar scarring in patients with erosive lichen planus: a report of 4 cases.

BACKGROUND: Oral lichen planus (LP) is thought to affect 1% of the population. It is an autoimmune inflammatory disease process with varied clinical manifestations. Glabrous skin scarring is rare, but that of mucosal membranes may be more common than recognized. It has been estimated that 25% of patients with oral lesions also harbor genital lesions. CASE: We report 4 cases of LP with genital involvement treated at various stages of development. Severe mucosal scarring occurred, and vulvovaginal scarring commonly resulted in significant dyspareunia. CONCLUSION: Early and aggressive diagnosis and therapy may abrogate the scarring potential of this debilitating disease process.

Evaluation of the female urethra with intraurethral magnetic resonance imaging.

The purpose of this study was to demonstrate feasibility of intraurethral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for in vivo assessment of the female urethra and to determine the anatomy of the urethra and periurethral attachments as depicted using an endourethral MR coil. Twenty-three continent volunteers were studied with a 14F endourethral MR coil. Intraurethral MRI allowed detailed visualization and measurements of the muscular layers of the urethral sphincter and permitted the evaluation of supporting ligaments. This technique may become useful in the evaluation of anatomical defects associated with female urethral sphincter deficiency.

Computed tomography evaluation of pelvic organ prolapse. Techniques and applications.

OBJECTIVES: Pelvic organ prolapse is a common debilitating condition affecting women. Cross-sectional imaging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) depicts pelvic floor anatomy as well as organ prolapse and can complement or replace fluoroscopy. Occasionally, patients cannot tolerate MRI, but multiplanar visualization of pelvic floor soft tissue anatomy and organ prolapse is clinically desired. The objective of this study was to determine if computed tomography (CT) is a potential diagnostic technique in these specific situations for demonstrating organ prolapse and the pelvic floor. METHODS: Seven women (mean age: 63.5 years) with clinical pelvic organ prolapse were referred for CT of the pelvis from the gynecologic and surgical clinics from November 1998 to September 2001. The CT technique included the following: insufflation of rectal air, positive oral contrast, supine position with knees flexed, and imaging at rest and straining with a single-detector scan in 5 cases (slice thickness of 3 mm, table speed of 5 mm/s, 2-mm reconstruction interval) and a multidetector scan in 1 case (detector collimation of 1 mm, slice thickness of 1.25 mm, 1-mm reconstruction interval). Axial and 3-dimensional images were interpreted. RESULTS: Computed tomography demonstrated prolapse in 5 of 7 patients. At CT, cystocele was present in 2 of 7 patients, vault or cervical prolapse was present in 4 of 7, enterocele was present in 3 of 7, rectocele was present in 2 of 7, and levator abnormalities were present in 4 of 7. Surgery was performed in 3 of the 5 patients with positive CT findings, and prolapse was confirmed. Surgery was also performed in 1 patient with negative CT findings, and global prolapse was detected. CONCLUSIONS: Demonstration of pelvic organ prolapse and muscular pelvic floor abnormalities is feasible with CT if the patient strains adequately. In patients who cannot tolerate MRI, CT may be useful as an alternative diagnostic tool.