Use of ultrasound in the clinical evaluation of women following colpocleisis

LeFort Colpocleisis: Unmet Expectations about Correction of Urinary Symptoms Are Related to Disappointment and Regret

Introduction and Hypothesis

The aims of this study were to define long-term anatomic outcome, satisfaction rate, and reasons for disappointment and regret in a group of patients with advanced pelvic organ prolapse who underwent LeFort colpocleisis (LFC).

Materials and Methods

This was a retrospective, single-center, cohort study including consecutive patients who underwent LFC from 2007 to 2021. All patients had surgery involving vaginal hysterectomy and anti-incontinence procedure where clinically indicated. All patients were examined 3 months after surgery. A cross-sectional telephone survey was performed in 2022 using the Patient Global Impression of Severity (PGI-S), Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I), and Patient Global Impression of Change (PGI-C) questionnaires, as well as the Decision Regret Scale. Student's t-test, Fisher's Chi-square test, and univariable logistic regression analysis were carried out.

Results

One hundred and forty-one patients (mean age 74.95 ± 6.25 years) were included. The mean preoperative POP Quantification C/D point was +6 (±2.7). In 86 (60.99%) patients, a hysterectomy and in 56 (39.71%), a mid-urethral synthetic sling was performed. At 3-month follow-up, there was one prolapse recurrence (0.71%) and no case of regret of sexual function loss. In the long term, 28 patients died, and 69 patients were interviewed through telephone (follow-up 61.65 months). The mean PGI-S, PGI-I, and PGI-C scores were 1.42 (±0.81), 1.93 (±1.45), and 5.91 (±1.69) respectively, and no patient declared regret about vaginal intercourse loss. Preoperative and postoperative persistent or de novo mixed UI appeared to be related to decreased satisfaction and regret post-LFC (P = 0.0021).

Conclusion

LFC is a valuable, easy-to-perform technique with long-lasting results and decreased postoperative anti-incontinence rates. However, de novo or persistent urinary incontinence appears to be related to decreased satisfaction rates.

Outcomes of a novel modified total colpocleisis for advanced pelvic organ prolapse in elderly women and its efficacy on lower urinary tract symptoms

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effectiveness of modified total colpocleisis for advanced pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in elderly women and to assess the improvement in lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) of the patients.

METHODS

An observational cohort study was conducted, including 105 POP patients who underwent modified total colpocleisis between April 2020 and December 2022. The study analyzed the patients' demographic characteristics, perioperative outcomes, and follow-up outcomes, including complications, remission of LUTS, satisfaction rates, and regret rates. Confirming the safety, durability, and patient satisfaction of modified total colpocleisis.

RESULTS

Most patients (95/105, 90.5%) had more than one comorbidity. Eighty-six (81.9%) had a concomitant hysterectomy, the average operative time was 112.78 ± 34.92 min, with a median estimated bleeding of 50 mL (10-300 mL). Perioperative changes in hemoglobin and hematocrit were 11.64 ± 10.03 g/L and 3.87% ± 3.05%, respectively. Urinary retention was the most common complication (10/105, 9.5%). With a median follow up of 16 months (3-35 months), 101 patients (96.2%) reported satisfaction with the results of the procedure, with none reporting regret. Both subjective and anatomical recurrence rates were quite low (2.9% and 5.7%, respectively). Twenty-three (21.9%) had de novo urinary incontinence, and the remaining LUTS such as frequent, urgent, hesitation, and difficulty emptying were significantly improved (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Modified total colpocleisis is an effective treatment option for elderly women with severe POP. This procedure can significantly improve several LUTS, and most de novo incontinence is mild and has a limited impact on patients' quality of life.

Colpocleisis as an obliterative surgery for pelvic organ prolapse: is it still a viable option in the twenty-first century? Narrative review

Introduction and hypothesis

The aims were to review the literature from the last two decades and analyze treatment efficacy and findings of the studies on colpocleisis.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted within the MEDLINE/PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov databases, using the following keywords: pelvic organ prolapse (POP), colpocleisis, obliterative, and LeFort. All English full-text prospective and retrospective observational and interventional studies were included. Anatomical and subjective success, surgical techniques, concomitant procedures, complication rates, anesthesia methods, and decision regret were analyzed.

Results

A total of 237 papers were identified and 49 met the inclusion criteria. Mean patient age was 69.0 ± 8.0 to 84 ± 3.1. Over 90.2% of patients undergoing colpocleisis were diagnosed with POP stage ≥ 3. The follow-up ranged from 30 days to a median of 5 years. Anatomical success, defined as POP-Q stage ≤ 1 and no prolapse beyond the hymen, was achieved in 62.5 to 100% and 87.5 to 100% of all patients respectively. Subjective success ranged from 88% to 100%. Regret over the loss of coital ability ranged from 0% in many studies to 12.9%, general decision regret from 0% to 13.8%. After concomitant midurethral sling surgery, 86.8% to 94% of all patients were continent, with a 0–14% sling revision rate due to urinary retention. Urinary tract infection was the most common postoperative complication (4.3 to 9% confirmed with urine culture, 34.7% based on symptom definition). Bowel (0 to 2.7%) and urinary tract (0 to 9.1%) injuries were the consequences of concomitant procedures. The mortality rates were up to 1.3%.

Conclusions

Colpocleisis is a heterogeneous procedure, characterized by high subjective and objective success, low coital ability regret, and a low risk of complications.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00192-021-04907-7

Quality of reporting of diagnostic accuracy studies on pelvic floor three-dimensional transperineal ultrasound: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

In recent years, a large number of studies have been published on the clinical relevance of pelvic floor three-dimensional (3D) transperineal ultrasound. Several studies compare sonography with other imaging modalities or clinical examination. The quality of reporting in these studies is not known. The objective of this systematic review was to determine the compliance of diagnostic accuracy studies investigating pelvic floor 3D ultrasound with the Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy (STARD) guidelines.

METHODS

Published articles on pelvic floor 3D ultrasound were identified by a systematic literature search of MEDLINE, Web of Science and Scopus databases. Prospective and retrospective studies that compared pelvic floor 3D ultrasound with other clinical and imaging diagnostics were included in the analysis. STARD compliance was assessed and quantified by two independent investigators, using 22 of the original 25 STARD checklist items. Items with the qualifier 'if done' (Items 13, 23 and 24) were excluded because they were not applicable to all papers. Each item was scored as reported (score = 1) or not reported (score = 0). Observer variability, the total number of reported STARD items per article and summary scores for each item were calculated. The difference in total score between STARD-adopting and non-adopting journals was tested statistically, as was the effect of year of publication.

RESULTS

Forty studies published in 13 scientific journals were included in the analysis. Mean ± SD STARD checklist score of the included articles was 16.0 ± 2.5 out of a maximum of 22 points. The lowest scores (< 50%) were found for reporting of handling of indeterminate results or missing responses, adverse events and the time interval between tests. Interobserver agreement for rating the STARD items was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.77). An independent t-test showed no significant mean difference ± SD in total STARD checklist score between STARD-adopting and non-adopting journals (16.4 ± 2.2 vs 15.9 ± 2.6, respectively). Mean ± SD STARD checklist score for articles published in 2003-2009 was lower, but not statistically different, compared with those published in 2010-2015 (15.2 ± 2.5 vs 16.6 ± 2.4, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The overall compliance with reporting guidelines of diagnostic accuracy studies on pelvic floor 3D transperineal ultrasound is relatively good compared with other fields of medicine. However, specific checklist items require more attention when reported. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.