Characterization of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Before and After Midurethral Sling Revision.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To characterize outcomes in women undergoing surgical revision of a midurethral sling and characterize factors associated with satisfaction of revision. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study (Canadian Task Force classification II-3). SETTING: A urogynecology clinic at a large academic referral center. PATIENTS: Women undergoing surgical revision of synthetic mesh midurethral sling (index surgery). INTERVENTIONS: Chart review was performed to obtain baseline clinicodemographic information, operative notes, urodynamic parameters, and symptom-specific distress and impact questionnaire data. Eligible women were then sent follow-up questionnaires that assessed reasons for index surgery, presence of dyspareunia, symptom-specific distress and impact, and satisfaction after mesh midurethral sling surgery. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of 144 eligible women, 69 (47.9%) responded, 15 (10.4%) declined participation or were deceased, and 59 (41.6%) did not respond. The mean time from index surgery was 22.2 ± 14.0 months. Women with transobturator slings were more frequently revised for vaginal exposure (p = .003), whereas women with retropubic slings were more frequently revised for voiding dysfunction (p < .0001). Sixty-four percent of women were satisfied with surgery. Satisfied women had more improvement in pain (p = .04), dyspareunia (p < .001), and Patient Global Impression of Improvement questionnaire scores (p < .0001). Multivariable analysis showed that satisfaction decreased with increasing years in age (adjusted odds ratio = 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.90-0.99). CONCLUSION: Women who were satisfied with sling revision were younger and more likely to have resolution of pain and dyspareunia and improved Patient Global Impression of Improvement scores. This information may help to inform patients regarding expectations with regard to sling revision.

The effect of age on stress and urgency urinary incontinence outcomes in women undergoing primary midurethral sling.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The primary aim was to characterize stress urinary incontinence (SUI) symptom distress and impact after a midurethral sling (MUS) in women ≥70 compared to women <70 years of age. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of women undergoing a primary MUS was conducted. The primary outcome was SUI symptoms defined as either "moderately" or "quite a bit" responses to ≥1 of the two SUI questions of the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20). Urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) was defined as either moderately or quite a bit responses to the UUI question of the PFDI-20. The Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire (PFIQ-7), Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ), and Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I) questionnaires were also administered. RESULTS: The mean age of patients ≥70 years (n = 160) was 75.4 ± 4.5 and <70 years (n = 536) was 56.2 ± 9.4. Multivariable analysis revealed no difference in SUI failure rates in older compared to younger cohorts, adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.7, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.9-3.1. Women <70 demonstrated greater improvement in urinary incontinence (UI) symptom impact [-20.4 (33.0) vs -12.2 (30.7), p = 0.01] and women ≥70 had greater persistent UUI symptoms (31.5 vs 23.3 %, p = 0.04); there was no difference between cohorts in resolution of UUI (29.6 vs 34.2 %, p = 0.34). Younger women reported a greater impression of improvement compared to older women (67.7 vs 56.6 %, p = 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Older and younger women have similar SUI outcomes after MUS; however, older women have more persistent UUI and a worse impression of improvement of their urinary tract condition.

Outcomes of midurethral sling procedures in women with mixed urinary incontinence.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The objective was to compare midurethral sling (MUS) urinary outcomes in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) only versus mixed UI (MUI). METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of women who underwent primary MUS surgery for SUI. MUI was defined as at least "moderately" bothersome urgency and stress incontinence on the Urinary Distress Inventory (UDI-6) subscale of the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20). The primary outcome was SUI cure defined by a response of "no," "not at all," or "somewhat" bothersome SUI on both of the two UDI-6 stress subscale items. Symptom impact was assessed using the Urinary Impact Questionnaire (UIQ-7). Multivariable models assessed the effect of MUI on SUI outcomes. RESULTS: One thousand one hundred and ninety-one primary MUS procedures were reviewed. Seven hundred and fifteen out of 1,191 (60%) questionnaires were returned and 534 out of 715 (75%) had completed baseline and follow-up questionnaires. Mean (± SD) follow-up time was 35 ± 15 months. Women with MUI had a higher (worse) baseline total score on the UDI-6 (p ≤ 0.001). A lower proportion of women with MUI had SUI success compared with the SUI only group (64 vs 84.5%, p < 0.001). On multivariable analyses, women in the MUI group were at an increased risk of SUI failure (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.6, 4.0), but greater improvements in UDI-6 (-31.6 ± 30.6 vs -15.5 ± 25.1), and UIQ-7 scores (-21.7 ± 35.3 vs -15.1 ± 28.2) compared with women with SUI only (all p < 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Women with MUI are at an increased risk of SUI failure after MUS compared with women with SUI only, but experience greater overall improvement in the impact of urinary symptoms on the quality of life.

Prevalence and Awareness of Pelvic Floor Disorders in Female Adolescents Seeking Gynecologic Care.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and awareness of pelvic floor disorder symptoms among female adolescents. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study via a written, anonymous survey of adolescents. The survey was composed of validated measures for determination of symptom prevalence. SETTING: Pediatric and adolescent gynecology clinic in the southeast United States. PARTICIPANTS: Female adolescents ages 14-21 years. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We used χ2 analyses for categorical variables and t test for continuous variables. RESULTS: Two hundred sixteen questionnaires were completed. The mean age of respondents was 17.1 (±2.1) years and most respondents had at least heard about urinary (UI) and fecal incontinence (FI; 62.9%). The prevalence of any UI was 31.5%. Urgency UI (UUI) was reported by 15.7% and stress UI was reported by 6.9% of adolescents; 8.8% of participants experienced UUI and stress UI symptoms. FI and pelvic organ prolapse symptoms were reported by 0.9%. There were no differences in reported prevalence rates of UI (31.7% vs 27.9%), FI (1.4% vs 0%), or pelvic organ prolapse (1.4% vs 0%) between younger (14-17 years) and older (18-21 years) adolescent participants, respectively (all P > .05). Although UI was fairly prevalent among respondents, most stated that it had a minimal effect on daily living. CONCLUSION: UI symptoms were common among female adolescents, with UUI being the most reported. Early education regarding pelvic floor disorder symptoms might lead to prevention or empowerment to seek treatment as adolescents age.

Vaginal Swab Test Compared With the Urethral Q-tip Test for Urethral Mobility Measurement: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether use of a vaginal cotton-tipped swab is equivalent to the standard Q-tip test regarding urethral mobility. Secondarily, to examine whether both tests agree in hypermobility diagnosis, discomfort level, and patients' preference. METHODS: In this randomized crossover trial, women with stress urinary incontinence without prolapse beyond the hymen were randomized to undergo either a vaginal or urethral mobility test first followed by the alternate approach. The primary outcome was the difference in rotation angle, from resting to maximum strain, between tests. The equivalence margin was ±10°. The secondary outcome was agreement in hypermobility diagnosis using two definitions: 1) maximum straining angle of 30° or greater from the horizontal plane; and 2) rotation angle 30° or greater. Discomfort was assessed using a 0-10 visual analog scale. Using 90% power assuming a standard deviation of 20°, 36 and 139 patients were needed for 10° and 5° equivalence margins, respectively. RESULTS: From January 2014 to March 2015, 140 women were randomized. The mean difference between the two tests was 5.1° (95% confidence interval 3.2-6.9°), meeting the predefined equivalence criteria. In the hypermobility diagnosis, the urethral and vaginal tests had no disagreement using definition 1 (P=.23), whereas the two tests disagreed using definition 2 (P=.03). The urethral approach had a higher discomfort level (P<.001). The majority preferred the vaginal test (68% preferred vaginal, 32% no preference). CONCLUSION: The vaginal swab test is equivalent to the standard Q-tip test in measuring urethral mobility with less discomfort and is preferred by patients.

Prevalence, Awareness, and Understanding of Pelvic Floor Disorders in Adolescent and Young Women.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to characterize symptom prevalence, awareness of pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) in family/friends, and understanding of factors contributing to the development of PFDs in women aged 19 to 30 years. METHODS: This study is a cross-sectional study via online questionnaire survey of female students aged 19 to 30 years enrolled at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Results of "adolescent women" aged 19 to 24 years were compared with "young women" aged 25 to 30 years. RESULTS: A total of 1092 questionnaires were completed with the mean age being 23.5 ± 3.1 years. The overall rate of urinary incontinence (UI) was 10.3% without a difference between adolescent and young women (P = 0.61). There were no differences in rates of urgency UI (P = 0.061), stress UI (P = 0.29), or pelvic organ prolapse (POP) symptoms (P = 0.56) between groups. There was no difference between groups in awareness of family members with UI, fecal incontinence (FI), or POP symptoms (P ≥ 0.24). However, logistic regression showed that the young women were more likely to have received education regarding UI (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.8-3.6), FI (aOR, 3.3; 95% CI, 2.2-4.8), POP (aOR, 2.9; 95% CI, 2.1-4.2), and have greater understanding regarding causes of UI (aOR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.7-4.8), FI (aOR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.3), and POP (aOR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3-2.9). CONCLUSIONS: Women aged 25 to 30 years had more awareness and understanding of PFDs compared with adolescent women. These data may have implications for primary prevention strategies of PFDs.

Incontinence outcomes in women undergoing primary and repeat midurethral sling procedures.

OBJECTIVE: To assess stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and other lower urinary tract symptom outcomes in women undergoing repeat midurethral sling procedures compared with those undergoing primary midurethral sling procedures. METHODS: Cure was defined as responses of "not at all" or "somewhat" to both questions of the SUI subscale of the Urogenital Distress Inventory-6; symptom effect was assessed using the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7. Multivariable models were created controlling for baseline Medical Epidemiologic and Social Aspects of Aging questionnaire urge score and Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 stress subscale score. RESULTS: One thousand three hundred sixteen patients had charts available for review: 135 of 1,316 (10.2%) had undergone prior midurethral sling procedures; 799 of 1,316 (61%) questionnaires were returned, with 92 from those having undergone prior midurethral sling procedures. Median follow-up time was 36.4 months with a range of 11.4-71.5 months. Cure rates were 71% (95% confidence interval [CI] 67.7-74.3%) in the primary midurethral sling group and 54% (95% CI 43.8-64.2%) in the repeat midurethral sling group (P<.001). Women undergoing repeat midurethral sling procedures experienced significantly greater improvement in symptom-specific quality of life (QOL) compared with those undergoing primary midurethral sling procedures (-28.87±37.6 compared with -18.42±32.73, P=.01). Multivariable analyses revealed that women in the repeat midurethral sling group had increased risk of SUI failure (odds ratio 1.7, 95% CI 1.1-2.8). CONCLUSION: Women undergoing repeat midurethral sling procedures had almost two times the odds of SUI treatment failure but greater improvement in symptom effect on QOL than did those undergoing a primary midurethral sling procedure. This information can help counsel patients regarding their expectations of repeat midurethral sling surgery for recurrent SUI . LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.