Outcomes in obstetric fistula care: a literature review.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To highlight the lack of consistency in the terminology and indicators related to obstetric fistula care and to put forward a call for consensus. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent studies show at least some degree of statistical correlation between outcome and the following clinical factors: degree of scarring/fibrosis, fistula location, fistula size, damage to the urethra, presence of circumferential fistula, bladder capacity, and prior attempt at fistula repair. SUMMARY: Consensus about basic definitions of clinical success does not yet exist. Opinions vary widely about the prognostic parameters for success or failure. Commonly agreed upon definitions and outcome measures will help ensure that site reviews are accurate and conducted fairly. To properly compare technical innovations with existing methods, agreement must be reached on definitions of success. Standardized indicators for mortality and morbidity associated with fistula repair will improve the evidence base and contribute to quality of care.

Current practices in treatment of female genital fistula: a cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Maternal outcomes in most countries of the developed world are good. However, in many developing/resource-poor countries, maternal outcomes are bleaker: Every year, more than 500,000 women die in childbirth, mostly in resource-poor countries. Those who survive often suffer from severe and long-term morbidities. One of the most devastating injuries is obstetric fistula, occurring most often in south Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Fistula treatment and care are available in many countries across Africa and Asia, but there is a lack of reliable data around clinical factors associated with the success of fistula repair surgery. Most published research has been retrospective. While these studies have provided useful information about the care and treatment of fistula, they are limited by the design. This study was designed to identify practices in care that could lead to the design of prospective and randomized controlled trials. METHODS: Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 40 surgeons known to provide fistula treatment services in Africa and Asia at private and government hospitals. The questionnaire was divided into three parts to address the following issues: prophylactic use of antibiotics before, during, and after fistula surgery; urethral catheter management; and management practices for patients with urinary incontinence following fistula repair. RESULTS: The results provide a glimpse into current practices in fistula treatment and care across a wide swath of geographic, economic, and organizational considerations. There is consensus in treatment in some areas (routine use of prophylactic antibiotics, limited bed rest until the catheter is removed, nonsurgical treatment for postsurgical incontinence), while there are wide variations in practice in other areas (duration of catheter use, surgical treatments for postsurgical incontinence). These findings are based on a small sample and do not allow for recommending changes in clinical care, but they point to issues for possible clinical trial research that would contribute to more efficient and effective fistula care. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from the survey allowed us to consider clinical practices most influential in the cost, efficacy, and safety of fistula treatment. These considerations led us to formulate recommendations for eight randomized controlled trials on the following subjects: 1) Efficacy/safety of short-term catheterization; 2) efficacy of surgical and nonsurgical therapies for urinary incontinence; 3) technical measures during fistula repair to reduce the incidence of post-surgery incontinence; 4) identification of predictive factors for "incurable fistula"; 5) usefulness of urodynamic studies in the management of urinary incontinence; 6) incidence and significance of multi-drug resistant bacteria in the fistula population; 7) primary management of small, new fistulas by catheter drainage; and 8) antibiotic prophylaxis in fistula repair.

Obstetric fistula: the ECWA Evangel VVF Center surgical experience from Jos, Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The objectives of this study are to analyze the surgical outcomes of women undergoing obstetric fistula repair operations at the ECWA Evangel VVF Center, Jos, Nigeria, and to identify factors associated with postoperative urinary continence. METHODS: Sociodemographic and clinical data were abstracted retrospectively from the Center's database for patients who underwent vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) repair operations. These data were compared with clinical outcome ("wet" or "dry") at the time of hospital discharge. RESULTS: From August 1998 to April 2004, 1,084 fistula repair operations were performed on 926 patients. A vaginal approach was used in 90.1% of cases, and postsurgical continence was achieved in 70.5% of patients. Continence was more likely in patients with an intact urethra, an upper or midvaginal fistula, and less fibrosis than in those patients who remained wet. CONCLUSIONS: Two thirds of patients with obstetric fistulas can be cured, with complete restoration of continence and low surgical morbidity, using a transvaginal surgical approach.

Ethical aspects of urinary diversion for women with irreparable obstetric fistulas in developing countries.

Obstetric fistula formation is a catastrophic complication of prolonged obstructed labor. Obstetric fistulas are common in impoverished countries where access to maternal health care is poor. Although most fistulas can be closed successfully at the time of operation, a small number of women sustain such extensive pelvic injuries that their fistulas are irreparable. Some Western surgeons visiting African countries where fistulas are prevalent have become enthusiastic advocates of performing urinary diversions on these women, transplanting the ureters into the colon. We present a case study of one such woman with an irreparable obstetric fistula and discuss the complex ethical issues involved in considering whether to offer operations of this kind to African fistula victims.

A code of ethics for the fistula surgeon.

Vesicovaginal fistulas from obstructed labor no longer exist in wealthy industrialized countries. In the impoverished countries of sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia obstetric fistulas continue to be a prevalent clinical problem. As many as 3.5 million women may suffer from this condition and few centers exist that can provide them with competent and compassionate surgical repair of their injuries. As this situation has become more widely known in the industrialized world, increasing numbers of surgeons have begun traveling to poor countries to perform fistula operations. To date, these efforts have been carried out largely by well-intentioned individuals, acting alone. An international community of fistula surgeons who share common goals and values is still in the process of being created. To help facilitate the development of a common ethos and to improve the quality of care afforded to women suffering from obstetric fistulas, we propose a Code of Ethics for fistula surgeons that embraces the fundamental principles of beneficence, non-maleficence, respect for personal autonomy, and a dedication to the pursuit of justice.

Humanitarian ventures or 'fistula tourism?': the ethical perils of pelvic surgery in the developing world.

The vesico-vaginal fistula from prolonged obstructed labor has become a rarity in the industrialized West but still continues to afflict millions of women in impoverished Third World countries. As awareness of this problem has grown more widespread, increasing numbers of American and European surgeons are volunteering to go on short-term medical mission trips to perform fistula repair operations in African and Asian countries. Although motivated by genuine humanitarian concerns, such projects may serve to promote 'fistula tourism' rather than significant improvements in the medical infrastructure of the countries where these problems exist. This article raises practical and ethical questions that ought to be asked about 'fistula trips' of this kind, and suggests strategies to help insure that unintended harm does not result from such projects. The importance of accurate data collection, thoughtful study design, critical ethical oversight, logistical and financial support systems, and the importance of nurturing local capacity are stressed. The most critical elements in the development of successful programs for treating obstetric vesico-vaginal fistulas are a commitment to developing holistic approaches that meet the multifaceted needs of the fistula victim and identifying and supporting a 'fistula champion' who can provide passionate advocacy for these women at the local level to sustain the momentum necessary to make long-term success a reality for such programs.

The obstetric vesicovaginal fistula: characteristics of 899 patients from Jos, Nigeria.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the characteristics of women with obstetric vesicovaginal fistulas at a hospital in north central Nigeria. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective record review was conducted of all women who were seen with vesicovaginal fistulas at Evangel Hospital in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, between January 1992 and June 1999. RESULTS: A total of 932 fistula cases were identified, of which 899 cases (96.5%) were associated temporally with labor and delivery. The "typical patient" was small and short (44 kg and <150 cm); had been married early (15.5 years) but was now divorced or separated; was uneducated, poor, and from a rural area; had developed her fistula as a primigravida during a labor that lasted at least 2 days and which resulted in a stillborn fetus. CONCLUSION: Obstetric vesicovaginal fistula is extremely common in north central Nigeria. A complex interaction that involves multiple biologic and socioeconomic factors appears to predispose young women to this devastating childbirth injury.