Daily symptom associations for urinary urgency and anxiety, depression and stress in women with overactive bladder.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Women with overactive bladder (OAB) report psychological distress, anxiety and depression, but short-term associations between these symptoms are poorly studied. Our objectives were to study daily associations between OAB symptoms and psychological symptoms and test whether these associations were stable when reassessed after 3 months. We hypothesized that OAB symptoms are positively associated with anxiety and depression symptoms over a short-term (daily) basis. METHODS: Female patients with OAB [bothersome urgency and/or urgency urinary incontinence (UUI)] assessed OAB and mood symptoms at baseline and 3 months using a 3-day bladder diary and visual analog scale (VAS) ratings (0-100 mm) for anxiety, depression and stress. Daily OAB and mood symptom associations were tested using Spearman correlations. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models tested associations between daily urgency scores and each psychological rating adjusting for covariates, time and a time-symptom interaction term. RESULTS: Participants (n = 69) had mean (SD) age 63.3 (13.4) years. Baseline diary outcomes [median (IQR)/day] included day voids 8 (7-11), nocturia 0 (0-1), UUI episodes 1 (0-3) and urgency score 1.75 (1-2.25). Anxiety and depression diagnoses (dx) and treatment (tx) were common (anxiety dx 30.4%, tx 21.7%; depression dx 47.8%, tx 37.7%), but daily anxiety, depression and stress ratings were low [median (IQR) mm 10 (3-35), 5 (1-16), and 16 (4-39), respectively]. Daily urgency scores correlated with anxiety (r = 0.30-0.40, days 1-3, p ≤ 0.01 for all), depression (r = 0.24-0.35, p ≤ 0.05 all) and stress (r = 0.27-0.34, p ≤ 0.03 all). GEE models indicated no significant change in these associations between baseline and 3 months, and OAB treatment did not impact the associations. CONCLUSIONS: Urgency scores were positively associated with same-day ratings of anxiety, depression and stress in OAB patients.

Effect of Enhanced Recovery Protocol on Opioid Use in Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: Our primary objective was to compare the total opioid use by patients undergoing apical pelvic organ prolapse surgery before and after implementation of an enhanced recovery protocol (ERP). METHODS: Participants of this ambispective cohort study included a "pre-ERP" retrospective cohort and an "ERP" cohort of patients prospectively enrolled after the full implementation of the ERP in January 2019. Demographic and clinical data were collected from the electronic record. Descriptive statistics were used for demographic variables. Total opioid use was calculated for each participant using morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) and compared between cohorts using the Student t test. RESULTS: Study participants (n = 65) were similar between cohorts and had a mean (SD) age of 62.4 (9.7) years and body mass index of 28.9 (4.8), and had a median parity of 3 (interquartile range, 2-4). Comorbid conditions, assessed with the Charlson Comorbidity Index, were also similar, with a mean (SD) of 2 (2.9). Hysterectomy approach and apical procedures did not differ between groups. After ERP implementation, mean (SD) intraoperative and postoperative MMEs decreased significantly (59.4 [31.6] vs 36.9 [20.5], P < 0.01). Total MMEs prescribed at discharge also decreased (392.3 [88.4] vs 94.6 [61.3], P < 0.01). Total anesthesia time and surgical time were similar, whereas mean total admission time decreased (27.3 [10.8] vs 18 [8.6] hours, P < 0.01). Telephone calls within 30 days increased from mean 1 (1.0) to 2.2 (1.9) (P < 0.01), whereas clinic visits and 30-day readmissions did not differ. CONCLUSIONS: Women undergoing apical pelvic organ prolapse surgery at an academic medical center received significantly fewer opioids after implementation of an ERP without a change in postoperative pain scores.

Generic Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients Seeking Care for Pelvic Organ Prolapse.

OBJECTIVE: Using the American Urogynecologic Society multicenter Pelvic Floor Disorder Registry for Research, we (1) compared generic quality of life (QOL) in women planning pelvic organ prolapse (POP) treatment (surgery vs pessary), (2) correlated generic and condition-specific QOL scores, and (3) identified associations between generic QOL and other factors. METHODS: This cross-sectional analysis assessed generic physical and mental QOL using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Global Health Scale at baseline. Global Physical and Mental T-scores center on a representative US population sample (mean [SD], 50 [10]; higher scores, better health). Condition-specific QOL was assessed with Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory, Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire, and POP/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Function Questionnaire. Linear regression models identified associations between clinical factors and Global Physical/Mental scores. RESULTS: Five hundred sixty-eight women (419 surgery, 149 pessary) were included. Surgery patients were younger, heavier, and more often sexually active (all P's ≤ 0.01). Global Physical scores were lower in the surgery versus pessary group, but not likely clinically meaningful (mean [SD], 48.8 [8.1] vs 50.4 [8.5]; P = 0.035); Global Mental scores were similar (51.4 [8.4] vs 51.9 [9.5], P = 0.56). Global Health scores correlated with Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory, Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire, and POP/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Function Questionnaire scores (all P's < 0.0001). In multivariable models, menopause was associated with better physical QOL, and constipation, coronary artery disease, pelvic pain, and increased body mass index with worse physical QOL. Age was associated with better mental QOL, and constipation, fecal incontinence, pelvic pain, and coronary artery disease with worse mental QOL. CONCLUSIONS: Women choosing POP surgery versus pessary had similar physical and mental generic QOL.

Systematic review of definitions for success in pelvic organ prolapse surgery.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The current literature on pelvic organ prolapse (POP) employs wildly varying definitions of surgical success. Understanding which definitions of success have been used and how these may impact reported outcomes is critical. Therefore, we performed a systematic review to identify and summarize these definitions and how they have changed over time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A PubMed search was performed for studies reporting POP surgical outcomes (1996 and later). Inclusion criteria were: original research, English, adult women with POP, nonobliterative surgical treatment, comparison group, reported prolapse-specific outcomes, and clear definition of treatment success. This definition was categorized according to presence of anatomic, subjective, retreatment, or other components and whether these components were evaluated individually or in a composite definition (in which all components must be present for success). RESULTS: One-hundred forty articles were included. The number of included studies increased over time (r = 0.90, p < 0.00001). Ninety-five studies (67.9%) reported an anatomic-only definition of success, 43 (30.7%) included a subjective component to their definition of success, and 23 (16.4%) reported a composite definition of success, including 11 (7.9%) containing anatomic, symptomatic, and retreatment components. The most common definition of anatomic success was Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) stage ≤ 1. The report of a significant difference between treatment groups (positive study) was most common in studies using an anatomic-only definition of success (p = 0.037). CONCLUSION: The number of comparative studies evaluating POP surgical outcomes has increased from 1996 to 2016. Most use definitions of success based solely on anatomic criteria despite increasing awareness of the importance of reporting subjective outcomes and retreatment rates.

Risk of postoperative urinary tract infections following midurethral sling operations in women undergoing hysterectomy.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common complication following hysterectomy and mid-urethral sling procedures (MUS). As a MUS is often placed at the time of hysterectomy, we sought to determine if the addition of an MUS procedure significantly increases the risk of UTI in the first 30 days following hysterectomy. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study utilizes the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) data bank for the years 2006-2012. The database collects data on all enrolled patients preoperatively and in the first 30 days postoperatively. The database was searched using procedural codes for various types of hysterectomies and MUS procedures. We assessed the incidence of postoperative UTIs following hysterectomy (HYST) only, MUS only, and hysterectomy combined with MUS (HYST + MUS). Adjusted logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate the effects of individual risk factors and models of interaction. RESULTS: The NSQIP cohort included 3,757 in the HYST + MUS group, 9,851 in the MUS-only group, and 57,398 in the HYST-only group. The rates of postoperative UTI, which was the most common postoperative morbidity, were 5.3, 3.4, and 2.5 % respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a persistent significant increase in rates of UTI (p < 0.001) between the MUS + HYST group and the HYST-only group. This significance was not maintained between the MUS-only group and the MUS + HYST group. CONCLUSIONS: Data from the NSQIP databank indicate that performing an MUS in combination with hysterectomy nearly doubles the risk of postoperative UTI over a hysterectomy alone.