When to Remove the Indwelling Catheter After Minimally Invasive Sacrocolpopexy? CARESS (CAtheter REmoval after Sacrocolpopexy Surgery).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the best practice guidelines regarding the use of indwelling catheters after minimally invasive sacrocolpopexy. METHODS: Multicenter (3 sites) randomized control trial comparing the standard overnight indwelling urethral catheterization (group 2) with removal of catheter immediately after surgery (group 1). Our primary outcome is the need for recatheterization. Secondary outcomes include the number of patients discharged with a catheter, length of hospital stay, number of urinary tract infections, patient satisfaction/pain scores, and whether patients would use the same treatment again. RESULTS: There were 32 patients (43.8%) in group 1 and 41 patients (56.2%) in group 2. On average, patients in group 1 required straight catheterization 0.8 (SD = 0.9) times versus 0.6 (SD = 0.9) times for group 2 (P = 0.239). The number of days with a catheter between the 2 groups was not statistically significant. There was no statistical significance between group 1 and group 2 in terms of operative time, times to leave the operating room, and hospital. Zero patients in group 1 and 2 patients in group 2 had a urinary tract infection. After dividing the groups based on whether or not they underwent a transvaginal tape procedure, the final results were similar. CONCLUSIONS: We did not observe a difference in the risk of recatheterization or discharge home with a urinary catheter between the 2 groups. Addition of transvaginal tape to sacrocolpopexy did not show a difference in the risk of recatheterization. One reason for the lack of difference between the 2 groups could be due to a lack of power in our study.

Anatomical Outcomes Based on Suturing Technique During Vaginal Mesh Attachment in Robotic Sacrocolpopexy.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we assessed the difference in anatomical outcomes using the barbed, self-anchoring, delayed absorbable suture when compared with the traditional knot-tying interrupted suture technique during vaginal mesh attachment in robotic sacrocolpopexy. In addition, we compared the rates of mesh erosion with the 2 techniques. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of 131 women who underwent minimally invasive robotic sacrocolpopexy at 2 sites. There were 65 subjects at site 1 (barbed, self-anchoring, delayed absorbable suture) and 66 from site 2 (traditional knot-tying technique). The primary outcome was anatomical success (measured by all Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification System points <0 postsurgery) in the barbed suture technique at site 1 compared with the traditional knot-tying technique at site 2. The secondary outcome was mesh erosion rates at these sites. RESULTS: In the barbed suture group, performed at site 1, 98% (n = 59/60) had postoperative success at the 3-month follow-up period compared with 62% (n = 40/65) in the traditional knot-tying group at site 2 during the 12-month postoperative follow-up (P < 0.0001). During this time period, 2% (n = 1) in the barbed suture group and 8% (n = 5) in the traditional knot-tying group experienced sacrocolpopexy mesh erosion (P = 0.208). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the barbed, self-anchoring, delayed absorbable suture is associated with less anatomical failures compared with traditional knot tying. The use of barbed suture is a safe technique and can be adopted in place of the traditional knot-tying technique. We also found less mesh erosion in the barbed suture group.

Mesh erosion in robotic sacrocolpopexy.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the incidence of mesh erosion after robotic sacrocolpopexy between women undergoing total and those undergoing supracervical hysterectomy (SH). METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study of women who underwent sacrocolpopexy and concomitant hysterectomy using the DaVinci surgical robot between May 2007 and December 2010 at 2 sites. Baseline data were gathered before surgery. The primary outcome was mesh erosion identified during 3 months of follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 102 women underwent sacrocolpopexy, of whom 45 were with concomitant SH and 57 were with total hysterectomy (TH). Their mean age was 58 years, mean body mass index was 26.8 kg/m, 98% were white, 6% smoked, and 25% were on systemic hormone replacement therapy. Mean preoperative Ba = +1.4, C = -2.2. These were not different between the 2 groups or by site. Within 3 months of surgery, mesh erosion was diagnosed in 8 women, all of whom had TH. No mesh erosions occurred in the SH group (14% vs 0%). Total hysterectomy mesh erosion rate at site 1 was 37% compared with 3% [corrected] at site 2. Mesh type was the only identifiable difference between sites: self-cut polypropylene at site 1, precut polypropylene at site 2. Two women in the SH had abnormal uterine pathology: 1 endometrial adenocarcinoma and 1 focus of hyperplasia with atypia. CONCLUSIONS: No mesh erosions were associated with SH within the first 3 months. In TH, the graft material used may be a modifiable factor needing further investigation. Unexpected abnormal uterine pathologic diagnosis remains a possibility with SH. Longer-term follow-up and a randomized trial are warranted to answer these questions.