Late suture site complications of sacrospinous ligament fixation.

ABSTRACT

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the late suture- related complications of sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF) as a treatment for uterovaginal prolapse and their impact on the quality of life. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. SETTINGS The Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Suez Canal University Hospitals, Ismailia, Egypt from January 2014 to June 2018. PATIENTS We recruited sixty women with uterovaginal prolapse. INTERVENTIONS: Patients underwent SSLF using the Capio suture recapturing device with non-absorbable suture material (0 braided Polyester). Postoperative visits were at six weeks then at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after the procedure. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Outcome measures were the rate and timing of suture- related and the quality of life using the pelvic floor impact questionnaire-7 at 24 months postoperatively. The mean age of the studied population was 45.7 ± 9.8 years. Suture- related complications occurred in 55% (33/60) of patients, with vaginal discharge the most commonly reported symptom. Most of them presented in the 1st year after the procedure 72.7% (24/33), and 25% (15/60) had suture removal. However, there was a significant improvement in patients' quality of life. CONCLUSION: Sacrospinous ligament fixation has a positive impact on the quality of life, yet associated with significant but prominent suture- related complications.