Patient Preferences and Knowledge Regarding Hysterectomy: A Study from the Fellows' Pelvic Research Network (FPRN)®.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe preference for and knowledge of hysterectomy routes in women presenting to urogynecology/gynecology clinics throughout the United States and to determine association with health literacy. Our primary aim was preference for hysterectomy route, and secondary aims were knowledge of basic pelvic structures and function, knowledge of various hysterectomy routes, and baseline health literacy level. METHODS: This multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted through the Fellows' Pelvic Research Network. Patients' preference and knowledge for hysterectomy routes were assessed at initial presentation to the urogynecology/gynecology clinic with an anonymous, voluntary, self-administered questionnaire along with a validated health literacy test (Medical Term Recognition Test). RESULTS: Two hundred four women participated. Forty-five percent of patients were unsure which hysterectomy modality they would choose. Of patients who selected a preferred modality, 50% selected laparoscopic and 33% selected vaginal. Patients indicated that safety was considered highest priority when selecting route. The mean score for "knowledge about gynecology/hysterectomy" was 68%, with the high literacy group scoring higher compared with the low health literacy group (70% vs 60.1%, P = 0.01). More than 50% of patients incorrectly answered knowledge questions related to vaginal hysterectomy. Majority of the respondents had high health literacy (79.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Patients prefer laparoscopic hysterectomy approach, although have limited understanding of vaginal hysterectomy. Higher health literacy levels are associated with increased knowledge of gynecology and hysterectomy routes, but were not found to influence patient preference for hysterectomy route. Overall, patients have limited knowledge of vaginal hysterectomy.

Sexual Activity and Dyspareunia 1 Year After Surgical Repair of Pelvic Organ Prolapse.

OBJECTIVE: To describe sexual activity and risks for dyspareunia after pelvic organ prolapse surgery. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis of data from four randomized trials conducted between 2002 and 2018. Standard assessments and validated measures of sexual function were assessed at baseline and at 12 months postoperatively. Anterior apical surgeries were grouped by approach: transvaginal native tissue repairs, transvaginal mesh or graft-augmented repairs, and abdominal sacrocolpopexy. Additional surgeries, which included posterior repair, hysterectomy, and slings, were analyzed. Bivariate analyses and logistic regression models identified risk factors for postoperative dyspareunia. RESULTS: Of the 1,337 women enrolled in the trials, 932 had sufficient outcome data to determine dyspareunia status. Of these before surgery, 445 (47.8%) were sexually active without dyspareunia, 89 (9.6%) were sexually active with dyspareunia, 93 (10.0%) were not sexually active owing to fear of dyspareunia, and 305 (32.7%) were not sexually active for other reasons. At 12 months, dyspareunia or fear of dyspareunia was present in 63 of 627 (10.0%); occurred de novo in 17 of 445 (3.8%) and resolved in 136 of 182 (74.7%). Multivariable regression demonstrated baseline dyspareunia as the only factor associated with postoperative dyspareunia (adjusted odds ratio 7.8, 95% CI 4.2-14.4). No other factors, including surgical approach, were significantly associated with postoperative dyspareunia. Too few had de novo dyspareunia to perform modeling. CONCLUSION: Dyspareunia is common in one in five women before undergoing prolapse surgery. Surgical repair resolves dyspareunia in three out of four women with low rates of de novo dyspareunia at less than 4%. Preoperative dyspareunia appears to be the only predictor of postoperative dyspareunia. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00065845, NCT00460434, NCT00597935, and NCT01802281.

Effect of intrinsic sphincter deficiency on midurethral sling outcomes in women with mixed urinary incontinence.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to estimate the effect of intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD) on frequency and urge incontinence after midurethral sling (MUS) in women with mixed urinary incontinence (MUI). METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 137 women with MUI who underwent MUS placement. We defined MUI as an affirmative response to the urge incontinence item (no. 16) on the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory in a cohort of women with urodynamic stress incontinence. Intrinsic sphincter deficiency was defined as preoperative positive leak point pressure of less than 60 cm H2O and/or urethral closure pressure less than 20 cm H2O. Outcomes included resolution of frequency and urge incontinence as well as resolution of stress incontinence. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to estimate the association between ISD and urinary outcomes. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-seven women met our study inclusion criteria. Fifteen (11%) had preoperative ISD, and 122 (89%) did not. At 6 to 12 months after MUS placement, 67% of women with ISD-MUI versus 39% with non-ISD-MUI had complete resolution of both urinary frequency and urge incontinence (P = 0.04). The 2 groups did not differ postoperatively in regard to complete resolution of stress incontinence symptoms (85% vs 90%, P = 0.63). On regression analysis, women with ISD-MUI had increased odds of complete resolution of frequency and urge incontinence compared with women with non-ISD-MUI (adjusted odds ratio, 5.38 [95% confidence interval, 1.50-19.3]). CONCLUSIONS: In women with MUI, preoperative ISD is associated with increased odds of urinary frequency and urge incontinence resolution after MUS.

Bupropion sustained release for panic disorder.

Despite anecdotal reports suggesting that bupropion may be effective for panic disorder, both clinical lore and the results of one small controlled study suggest otherwise. There remains a paucity of systematic prospective data addressing this issue. Twenty outpatients meeting criteria for panic disorder with or without agoraphobia were entered in an 8 week, two center open-label flexible dose trial of bupropion SR. Treatment with bupropion SR resulted in a clinically and statistically significant mean reduction of 1 to 2 points in the primary outcome measure, the CGI Severity score, in both the intent to treat (ITT; t=4.36, df=19, p<0.001) and completer samples (t=3.89, df=13, p<0.002). Significant improvement was also noted in both completer and ITT samples for all other panic symptom measures, which included the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS), number of panic attacks in the past two weeks, and the proportion of time anticipatory anxiety was present. Although results may be influenced by the open nature of this trial, our findings suggest that bupropion SR may be effective for the treatment of panic disorder. Further controlled study of its efficacy for this condition are warranted.