Local anesthesia for Altis® single incision sling in women with stress urinary incontinence.

OBJECTIVE: Local anesthesia for single incision slings has shown a good objective and subjective cure rate in women with stress urinary incontinence. The aim of the present study was to verify the efficacy and safety of local anesthesia during Altis® single incision placement. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred sixty-six consecutive patients (83 patients for each group: local resp. spinal anesthesia) were selected from our database for this retrospective study among women who underwent an Altis® implantation for SUI from September 2016 to June 2021, after unsuccessful previous conservative treatment. Primary endpoints were objective and subjective cure rates; secondary endpoint was the evaluation of complications linked to this procedure. RESULTS: A total of 155 included patients completed our 12 months follow-up. Baseline characteristics were similar between the groups. Operative time (percentage difference of 50%; p < 0.05) and the Intraoperative Difficulty Scale resulted lower in spinal patients. No differences were found between populations in terms of objective (cough stress test and urodynamics) and subjective (PGI-I and FSDS questionnaires) cure rate and postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: Local anesthesia for Altis® implantation could be considered a safe alternative to spinal anesthesia and an effective opportunity to avoid general anesthesia, increasing the possibility of outpatient implantation of this sling system.

Recurrence of vaginal prolapse after total vaginal hysterectomy with concurrent vaginal uterosacral ligament suspension: comparison between normal-weight and overweight women.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is one of the most important risk factors for the development and progression of the pelvic organ prolapse. However, data regarding whether obesity is a risk factor for recurrence after pelvic organ prolapse surgery are controversial. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to estimate the risk of recurrent prolapse in any vaginal compartment after total vaginal hysterectomy with concurrent uterosacral ligament vaginal vault suspension among normal-weight women compared with either overweight or obese women. STUDY DESIGN: This is a 5-year retrospective cohort study of women who underwent total vaginal hysterectomy with concurrent vaginal uterosacral ligament suspension at one referral center for pelvic organ prolapse in Italy from January 2010 to January 2015. All women who underwent total vaginal hysterectomy with concurrent uterosacral ligament suspension were included in the analysis. Laparoscopic approach was excluded. Women were classified according to the body mass index of 2 groups: (1) normal weight (body mass index, 18.5-24.9 kg/m2) and (2) either overweight (body mass index, 25.0-29.9 kg/m2) or obese (body mass index, ≥30.0 kg/m2). The primary outcome was the incidence of recurrent prolapse in any vaginal compartment (anterior, posterior, or apical). Recurrent prolapse was defined as prolapse extending beyond the hymen with straining (pelvic organ prolapse quantification points Ba, C, Bp ≥0) or repeat treatment for prolapse with either pessary or surgery. Uterosacral ligament suspensions were performed with a vaginal approach with the use of sutures placed in the intermediate uterosacral ligament, at or above the ischial spine, and affixed to the vaginal apex. Delayed absorbable sutures were used, with 2 sutures per side. RESULTS: Three hundred sixty women who underwent total vaginal hysterectomy with concurrent uterosacral ligament suspension with at least 6 months of follow up after surgery were included in the study. The overall incidence of recurrent prolapse in any vaginal compartment was 19.7% (71/360 women). The risk of recurrent prolapse in any vaginal compartment (ie, primary outcome) was similar in the normal-weight compared with the overweight or obese group (16.7% vs 21.3%; P=.30). Women in the normal-weight group had a lower risk of recurrent anterior vaginal prolapse (10.8% vs 20.0%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.25-0.94) and of multiple compartment prolapse (8.3% vs 14.6%; adjusted odds ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.31-0.83). CONCLUSION: After total vaginal hysterectomy with concurrent uterosacral ligament suspension, the risk of recurrent vaginal prolapse was 20% based on a composite outcome definition of any anatomic prolapse beyond the hymen or pessary or repeat surgery. The most common site of recurrence was the anterior compartment. The risk of recurrent surgery was 10%. Our study showed that women with normal-weight had similar risk of recurrent prolapse compared with the overweight or obese group. In subgroup analyses, women with normal-weight had one-half the odds of recurrent anterior vaginal wall prolapse compared with those who were overweight or obese.

Minimally Invasive Treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women: A Prospective Comparative Analysis between Bulking Agent and Single-Incision Sling.

INTRODUCTION: The study aims to compare the efficacy and safety of bulking agents and single-incision slings in the treatment of urinary incontinence in 159 patients during a 29-month follow-up period. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Of the 159 patients suffering from stress urinary incontinence, 64 were treated with bulking agents (PAHG Bulkamid®) and 75 with a single-incision sling (Altis®). The ICIQ-UI-SF (Incontinence Questionnaire-Urine Incontinence-Short Form), PISQ-12 (Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaires short form), FSFI (Female Sexual Function Index), FSDS (Female Sexual Distress Scale), and PGI-I (Patient Global Improvement Index) were used to assess efficiency and quality of life. RESULTS: The bulking agents showed high efficacy and safety during the 29-month follow-up. Post-operative complications were recorded in both groups, with only two significant differences. The Bulkamid group experienced no pain, while 10.8% of the ALTIS group experienced groin pain and 5% experienced de novo urgency. Furthermore, patients treated with bulking agents experienced reduced nicturia (0.78 vs. 0.92 in patients treated with single-incision slings.). In both groups, we noticed a significant improvement in QoL (quality of life), with a halved ICIQ-UI-SF (International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urine Incontinence-Short Form) score which was completed to assess the impact of urine symptoms. After 24 months of therapy, the Bulkamid group saw a decrease from 14.58 ± 5.11 at baseline to 5.67 ± 1.90 (p < 0.0001), whereas the ALTIS group experience a decrease from 13.75 ± 5.89 to 5.83 ± 1.78. Similarly, we observed an improvement in sexual function, with the number of sexually active patients increasing from 29 to 44 (56.4%) in the Bulkamid group (p = 0.041) and from 31 to 51 (61.7%) in the ALTIS group (p = 0.034). According to the most recent statistics, the PISQ-12, FSFI, and FSDS scores all demonstrated an improvement in women's sexual function. CONCLUSIONS: In terms of efficacy and safety, bulking agents had notable results over the 29-month follow-up period. Furthermore, the patients treated with bulking agents reported a lower incidence of postoperative complications and a no discernible difference in terms of quality of life and sexual activity compared to the ones treated with single-incision slings. Bulking agents can be considered a very reliable therapeutic option based on accurate patient selection.

Quality of life and sexual function evaluation in women with urogynecological diseases analyzed with telemedicine during the COVID-19 period: the beginning of a new era?

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to demonstrate that the implementation of remote medical care in the management of patients suffering from specific urogynecological diseases can be a valid alternative to outpatient visits leading to a huge saving of resources which can be used for real emergencies. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to demonstrate that patients treated with telehealth had the same improvement in symptoms and Quality of Life as those treated with outpatient visits. METHODS: Observational analysis on women with urogynecological diseases was performed during restrictive measures period. One group of patients was assessed in the clinic and one group by video consultations. The population answered Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Female Sexual Distress Scale (FSDS), the Overactive Bladder Questionnaire Symptoms and Health-Related Quality of Life Short-Form Symptoms (OAB-Q), Prolapse Quality of Life Questionnaire (P-QoL), the Pelvic Pain and Urinary/Frequency Patient Symptom Scale (PUF) scores, the Short Form Health Survey questionnaires (SF-36) during the first visit and after 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was to evaluate the change in symptoms after the outpatient and telemedicine visit. The secondary endpoint was the evaluation of the telemedicine impact on the Quality of Life and sexual function. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-five patients were considered. Symptoms of overactive bladder, genitourinary syndrome, and recurrent urinary infections improved significantly in both groups with no significant differences. Sexual activity increased significantly in both groups with a significant change in FSFI and FSDS values. The SF-36 showed a significant change 12 weeks after the visit in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Telemedicine is equally useful and effective as the outpatient visits in patients suffering from urogynecological diseases.