Vaginal repair of nonradiogenic urogenital fistulas.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: In developed countries urogenital fistulas are rare and usually a complication of surgery or radiation therapy. Surgical repair can be accomplished transvaginally or by laparotomy, laparoscopy, robotic-assisted laparoscopy, or transurethral endoscopy. Closure can be achieved with or without tissue interposition. The vaginal approach is the least invasive and a variety of techniques with or without tissue interpositions and flaps have been described. This study reviews surgical approaches and techniques for the repair of nonradiogenic urogenital fistulas. METHODS: We identified and reviewed records from all patients treated for urogenital fistulas at our unit between 2008 and 2018. We analyzed fistula location, etiology, type and duration of corrective surgery, length of hospitalization, as well as complication and success rates. RESULTS: Fifty patients (mean age 52 years) were identified. 49 fistulas were related to previous gynecological surgery, 3 were related to obstetric trauma. Thirty-four patients had vesicovaginal, 11 urethrovaginal, 3 ureterovaginal, and 2 neobladder-vaginal fistulas. Forty-eight patients (96%) were operated on using a vaginal approach; a modified Sims-Simon repair was used in 47 cases (94%). No flaps or tissue interpositions were used. In 48 patients (96%) successful closure was achieved with one operation; the modified Sims-Simon technique was successful in all 47 cases. The median operation time was 40 min (range, 20-100 min); the complication rate was 14%. CONCLUSIONS: This series demonstrates the feasibility and advantages of vaginal repair of benign gynecological fistulas. The success rate was high and extensive procedures were avoided.

Mesh-augmented transvaginal repair of recurrent or complex anterior pelvic organ prolapse in accordance with the SCENIHR opinion.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: To evaluate the performance of mesh-augmented repair of anterior pelvic organ prolapse (POP) with or without apical vaginal wall involvement in women with recurrent or complex prolapse. METHODS: This multicenter cohort study included women undergoing surgery with Calistar S (Promedon, Argentina) for anterior POP between 2016 and 2018. The SCENIHR opinion was considered for patient selection, surgeon's experience and choice of implant. Patients were prospectively invited to assess effectiveness and safety by anamnesis, validated questionnaires and pelvic examination. A composite endpoint defined by POP-Q ≤ 1, absence of a vaginal bulge symptom and repeated surgery for POP was used to define treatment success. Descriptive statistics were applied. McNemar or Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used as paired samples tests. The significance level was set at 5%. RESULTS: A total of 107 non-fertile women with a mean age of 70.6 years were enrolled. Ninety-three (86.9%) women presented with recurrent prolapse. The mean follow-up time was 18.5 months. Treatment success was achieved in 76% of cases according the composite endpoint, with 98% reaching POP-Q ≤ 1 and a significant improvement in quality of life (p < 0.001). Mesh exposure occurred in six (5.6%) patients, although none required further surgery. Four (3.7%) patients reported dyspareunia, and a single (0.9%) patient displayed a prominence due to mesh folding. CONCLUSIONS: Mesh-augmented repair of anterior POP is effective and safe in women with recurrent or complex prolapse. Hence, in a select patient population, the benefits of mesh-augmented POP repair still outweigh the risks.