Laparoscopic duplication of the uterosacral ligaments following hysterectomy for stage III-IV apical pelvic organ prolapse

The effectiveness and safety of laparoscopic uterosacral ligament suspension: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Laparoscopic uterosacral ligament suspension (LUSLS) is a technique to correct apical pelvic organ prolapse (POP) by shortening the uterosacral ligaments with sutures.

OBJECTIVE

A systematic review with meta-analysis of the effectiveness and safety of LUSLS as treatment for apical POP.

SEARCH STRATEGY

PubMed and Cochrane search using 'pelvic organ prolapse', 'laparoscopy' and 'uterosacral', including synonyms.

SELECTION CRITERIA

All articles in English presenting outcome of an original series of women with LUSLS as treatment of apical POP. Case reports were excluded.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Study enrollment was performed by two reviewers. Our primary outcome measures were objective and subjective effectiveness of the procedure. Secondary outcome measures regarded complications and recurrence. Bias was assessed with the Newcastle Ottawa Scale.

MAIN RESULTS

Of 138 hits, 13 studies were included with 933 LUSLS patients. The average follow-up was 22 months. All were nonrandomised cohort studies. The pooled anatomic success rate is 90% for all LUSLS procedures (95% confidence interval [CI] 83.3-95.5). LUSLS with hysterectomy resulted in an anatomic success rate of 96.6% (95% CI 87.5-100) and LUSLS with uterus preservation 83.4% (95% CI 67.7-94.6). The pooled subjective cure rate was 90.5% (95% CI 81.9-96.5). The rate of major complications was 1%.

CONCLUSIONS

Laparoscopic uterosacral ligament suspension (with or without uterus preservation) seems to be an effective and safe treatment for women with apical POP, but long-term prospective trials and randomised controlled trials are necessary to confirm these findings.

The mediating role of menstrual irregularity on obesity and sexual function in Chinese women with pelvic floor disorders: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Sexual problems are common among women with pelvic floor disorders (PFD). Few studies have explored the relationship between obesity and sexual function in women with PFD. This study aimed to prove that obesity was a risk factor for worse sexual function in women with PFD, and to investigate the mediating role of menstrual irregularity.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study involving 783 women with PFD from Shandong Province, China between June 2020 and February 2021. Female sexual function was assessed using the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/UI Sexual Questionnaire-12 (PISQ-12). Obesity was defined as BMI ≥ 28.0. Menstrual irregularity was defined as menstrual cycles ≥ 35 or menstrual cycles < 25 days. Logistic regression and multiple linear regression were employed to explore the association among obesity, menstrual irregularity and sexual function.

RESULTS

Obesity was associated with worse PISQ-12 scores compared with normal- weight women (mean score 28.14 ± 7.03 versus 32.75 ± 5.66, p < 0.001). After adjusting for controlling variables, women with obesity (β= -3.74, p < 0.001) and menstrual irregularity (β= -3.41, p < 0.001) had a worse sexual function. Menstrual irregularity had a mediation effect on the association between obesity and sexual function.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provided evidence that obesity was associated with worse sexual function in women with PFDs, and the effect of obesity on sexual function was partially mediated by menstrual irregularity. Weight control may have potential benefits for improving sexual function and preventing female sexual dysfunction. It's also important to pay attention to the menstrual cycle.

The effect of hysteropreservation versus hysterectomy on the outcome of laparoscopic uterosacral suspension in pelvic organ prolapse surgery

OBJECTIVES

This study compares the recurrence rate, complication rate and subjective satisfaction with laparoscopic uterosacral suspension with or without hysterectomy.

STUDY DESIGN

This retrospective cohort study included 105 patients between June 2014 and December 2019. Recurrent pelvic organ prolapse was defined as any prolapse to or beyond the hymen with straining or needing retreatment. Student's t-test, the Mann-Whitney U test, the chi square test or Fisher's exact test, multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used for the data analysis.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Whether the durability of laparoscopic uterosacral suspension surgery is affected by uterine preservation.

RESULTS

60 patients underwent laparoscopic uterosacral suspension with concomitant hysterectomy (Hysterectomy group), and 45 underwent laparoscopic uterosacral hysteropexy (Hysteropexy group). The median (interquartile range) duration of follow-up for all 105 patients was 31 (22.5-47.5) months. The results of multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression showed that no difference was found in the risk of overall recurrence between the hysterectomy and hysteropexy groups (25 % vs. 22 %; HR, 0.37; 95 % CI, 0.14-1.00). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis also demonstrated that there were no significant differences in the overall rates of recurrent prolapse between the two groups (P = 0.30). In addition, the subjective success rates were high in both groups (82 %).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated equally satisfactory objective and subjective long-term outcomes after laparoscopic uterosacral suspension with or without hysterectomy. Laparoscopic uterosacral hysteropexy can be safely and effectively offered to patients with pelvic organ prolapse who wish to preserve their uterus and do not have contraindications.

Transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery versus conventional vaginal surgery for sacrospinous ligament fixation of apical compartment prolapse: a retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND

To objectively assess the safety, feasibility, advantages, and disadvantages of transvaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES) versus conventional vaginal (CV) surgery for sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF).

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the data of patients who underwent hysterectomy for SSLF via vNOTES or CV surgery due to apical compartment prolapse between April 2019 and April 2020 at our hospital. The patients were classified into the vNOTES group (n = 31) and CV surgery group (n = 51) based on surgical approach and their general characteristics and perioperative outcomes compared.

RESULTS

The two groups had similar general characteristics. The anatomical success and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy rates were higher in the vNOTES than CV surgery group, while the postoperative stay was shorter in the vNOTES than CV surgery group. All differences were statistically significant. However, there were no statistically significant intergroup differences in operation time, bilateral salpingectomy rate, colporrhaphy rate, postoperative visual analog scale score, estimated blood loss, hemoglobin decrease at 72 h postoperative, maximum body temperature at 72 h postoperative, complication rate, buttock pain, or Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire-7 and Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory Questionnaire-20 scores at 1 year postoperative.

CONCLUSIONS

VNOTES for SSLF was safe and feasible and resulted in superior objective and subjective outcomes versus CV surgery for SSLF. These findings suggest that vNOTES could be an alternative to CV surgery for SSLF.

Hysterectomy: Let's Step Up the Ladder of Evidence to Look Over the Horizon

Hysterectomy is one of the most common non-obstetric gynecological surgical procedures carried out in Western countries [...].

Risk factors of pelvic organ prolapse at Asella Teaching and Referral Hospital: Unmatched case control study

Background

Prolapse is one of the sub-types of pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) which occurs due to abnormal fall of the pelvic organs from their normal anatomic positions. Although the cause of prolapse is multifactorial, it primarily occurs due to pregnancy and vaginal delivery. Hence, the present study aimed to identify risk factors of prolapse among women who undergo gynecological surgery.

Materials and methods

Facility-based-unmatched case–control design was employed. Cases were all gynecological women who were diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) at Asella teaching referral hospital (ATRH) while controls were all charts of gynecological women who were diagnosed with other gynecological problems rather than POP at ATRH. For each case, two controls were selected using a simple random sampling technique. The data were entered into Epidata version 4.3.1 and finally exported to SPSS version 25 for further analysis. Then variables that had an association in the bivariate model (p &lt; 0.25) were entered and analyzed by a multivariable conditional logistic regression model to identify the independent effect of different factors. Statistical significance was declared at p &lt; 0.05.

Results

A total of 147 cases and 293 controls were included in this study. Women who had a history of chronic cough, previous pelvic floor surgery, constipation, and vaginal tear during delivery, history of pelvic trauma, age of the women, rural resident, and maternal gravidity were strongly associated with prolapse at p-value of &lt; 0.05. Multigravida [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.987 (95% CI 1.237–6.853), p = 0.014], age &gt;50 years [AOR: 2.496 (95% CI 1.372–4.539), p = 0.003], women with a history of pelvic floor surgery [AOR: 0.3.666 (95% CI 1.328–10.124), p = 0.012], women who had diabetes mellitus [AOR: 4.676 (95% CI 0.908–24.075), p = 0.065], and resided in rural areas [AOR = 1.878; (95% CI: 0.984–3.585), I2 = 47.5%, p = 0.056] were the independent predictors were of prolapse.

Conclusions

In this study, women with diabetes mellitus, previous pelvic floor surgery, rural residents, being multigravida, and age &gt;40 were independent predictors of prolapse. Therefore, delivering health education by focusing on the identified risk factors was strongly recommended.

Laparoscopic uterosacral ligament suspension: a comprehensive, systematic literature review

OBJECTIVES

Laparoscopic uterosacral ligament suspension (LUSLS) of the vaginal apex for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) has gained popularity. The aim of this systematic review is to investigate perioperative outcomes and complications, subjective and objective success rates and recurrence rates in women undergoing this surgical procedure.

STUDY DESIGN

A systematic literature search was performed in December 2021. The critical appraisal skills program (CASP) was used to assess the methodological quality of the selected studies. The Clavien-Dindo (CD) scale and the Satava scale were used to classify periprocedural complications. Continuous variables were described as means and standard deviations while categorical were expressed as percentages of the whole group. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

RESULTS

26 articles were selected and analysed, with a total population of 1401 patients. Anatomical and subjective success rates after LUSLS ranged from 79% and 100% and from 76.2% to 100% respectively. The re-operation rate varied from 2% to 4.5% in the largest cohorts. The overall complication rate was 13.6%, however grade III CD complications occurred only in 1% of patients. Ureteral complications were described in only 2 cases.

CONCLUSIONS

LUSLS represent a safe and effective technique for vaginal apex resuspension in women with POP. Further larger prospective randomized studies are required to confirm these data.

The effect evaluation of traditional vaginal surgery and transvaginal mesh surgery for severe pelvic organ prolapse: 5 years follow-up

The objective of this study was to compare the clinical effectiveness of traditional vaginal surgery and transvaginal mesh (TVM) surgery on severe pelvic organ prolapse (POP). We performed a retrospective chart review study of 258 severe POP patients who underwent surgery between November 2010 and September 2016. One hundred forty patients underwent traditional vaginal surgery and 118 TVM surgery. The Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantitation (POP-Q) staging was used for objective evaluation. The Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20), Pelvic Floor Disease Life Impact Questionnaire Simplified Version-7 (PFIQ-7), and Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Incontinence Sexual Function Questionnaire (PISQ-12) were used for subjective evaluation. Their complications were also recorded. All the data were collected in the outpatient department through the follow-up at 3 months, 1, 3, and 5 years after the operation. Forty patients in the traditional vaginal surgery group and 25 in the TVM group were lost to follow-up. There was no difference in the POP-Q score between the groups (P = 0.346). The recurrence rate increased with follow-up time, reaching nearly 20% in the two groups by 5 years. The TVM group has higher PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 scores and lower PISQ-12 scores than the traditional vaginal surgery group at six months, 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively (P < 0.001). Mesh exposure has occurred in the TVM group. Both surgeries showed similar objective satisfaction and recurrence rate. However, traditional vaginal surgery has higher subjective satisfaction than TVM in our study and does not risk exposure to prosthetic material.

Comparison of Surgical Outcomes of Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy and vNOTES Hysterectomy for Undescended-Enlarged Uteri

AIM

This study aimed to compare the surgical outcomes of laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH) and vaginally assisted natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES) hysterectomy procedures in women with undescended-enlarged uteri.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted with 78 women who underwent LH (48 patients) or vNOTES hysterectomy (30 patients) for benign gynecological pathologies. The dimension of the uterus, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, the presence of peri-, postoperative complications, conversion to laparotomy, pre-, postoperative hemoglobin (Hb), and hematocrit (Hct) levels, postoperative hospital stay, total dose of postoperative analgesics, VAS scores at the postoperative 6^th and 24^th hours, and the final pathology reports were recorded.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference between LH and vNOTES hysterectomy groups regarding age (47 vs. 47.5 years, p = 0.92), parity (2 vs. 2, p = 0.74), and BMI (30.8 vs. 28.2 kg/m2, p = 0.31). The patients in the vNOTES hysterectomy group had significantly shorter durations of surgery (45 vs. 160 min) and hospitalization (48 vs. 72 h) than the LH group (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). The 24^th hour VAS score was lower (VAS score 2 vs. 3, p = 0.003) in favor of the vNOTES hysterectomy group. In matched group analysis, the 24^th hour VAS score (2 vs. 3, p = 0.008), operation time (45 vs. 157, p < 0.001), and hospitalization (48 vs. 72, p < 0.001) were lower in the vNOTES hysterectomy group than the LH group.

CONCLUSION

vNOTES hysterectomy provides favorable outcomes compared to conventional LH considering the shorter operation time, hospitalization, and lower 24^th h VAS score.

Laparoscopic versus vaginal native tissue repair in combination with pectopexy. Sub-analysis from an international, prospective, and multi-centre study: short term results

INTRODUCTION

The use of mesh for vaginal repairs is currently problematic and as a consequence, there is increased interest in native tissue repair. We describe the follow-up data of a sub-analysis of a prospective and multi-center study focusing on the combination of pectopexy and native tissue repair. Patients were followed up for 12-18 months after surgery (+ SD: 15). Two-hundred and sixty-four patients attended the clinics for physical examination and were integrated into the follow-up. Cystocele repair was performed laparoscopically in 84 patients and vaginally in 52 patients. Posterior repair was performed vaginally in 40 patients and laparoscopically in 53 patients. Results: Clinical success rate, patient recommendations and patient satisfaction rates were similar in both groups. The laparoscopic anterior repair resulted in an 89% cure or anatomical improvement rate; this compared to 94.2% for the vaginal approach. In the posterior group, laparoscopy resulted in a 94.3% cure or improvement rate compared to 97.5% in the second group. Conclusions: The outcomes of both strategies showed satisfactory results in our study. Consequently, surgeons may choose between the two strategies according to their preference and skill. The two approaches only differed with regard to vaginal scarring. We suggest future research investigating the long-term impact of scarring.

Surgical morbidity of total laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign disease: Predictors of major postoperative complications

OBJECTIVE

To estimate rate of perioperative complications and to define risk factors of 30-day major (Clavien-Dindo ≥ 2) postoperative complications of total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) for benign disease.

STUDY DESIGN

An uncontrolled single-center single-arm retrospective study. Data of consecutive patients who have undergone TLH for pathologically confirmed benign disease between January 2000 and December 2019 have been analyzed. Perioperative surgical outcomes, occurrence of postoperative complications, readmissions, and reoperations within 30 days from surgery were registered. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed to determine the factors associated with major (Clavien-Dindo ≥ 2) postoperative complications.

RESULTS

Over the study period 3090 patients were included in the study. Conversion to open surgery occurred in 54 (1.7%) cases. Mean operative time for TLH was 87.7 (±1.7) minutes while mean estimated blood loss was 119.5 (+7.4) mL. Overall, postoperative complications were registered in 430 (13.9%) patients, and major events were observed in 208 (6.7%) of the cases. Same-hospital readmissions and reoperations within 30-day from surgery occurred in 78 (2.5%) and 28 (0.9%) patients, respectively. At multivariable analysis, endometriosis (odds ratio: 3.51, 95%CI:1.54-8.30, p = 0.02), the need for conversion to open surgery (odds ratio: 1.26, 98%CI:1.03-12.64, p < 0.001), and the occurrence of any intraoperative complication (odds ratio: 3.10, 95%CI: 1.45-21.61, p < 0.001) were found as independent risk factors for major postoperative complications.

CONCLUSIONS

Total hysterectomy performed via laparoscopy is associated with acceptable major postoperative complications rate. A huge effort should be made to minimize the occurrence of intraoperative complications and the need for conversion to open surgery. Patients undergoing TLH for endometriosis should be counselled about the increased risk of major postoperative events.

Quality of life recovery after laparoscopic high uterosacral ligament suspension: a single centre observational study

OBJECTIVE

Laparoscopic high uterosacral ligament suspension (l-HUSLS) is a laparoscopic-transposed vaginal technique for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse. Nowadays data regarding quality of life and sexual functions in patients who underwent l-HUSLS for pelvic organ prolapse are few and generic with most of the study investigating the anatomical outcome. For these reasons, the aim of our study is to evaluate these subjective outcomes in women undergoing this surgical procedure with the support of validated questionnaires.

STUDY DESIGN

This is a retrospective study with the primary aim of analysing the quality of life, sexual function, patient satisfaction rates and anatomical outcome among patients who underwent l-HUSLS in our institution. The SPSS Version 26.0 for Windows (Statistical package for the social studies, Chicago, IL, USA) was used for the statistical analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 60 patients underwent l-HUSLS between 2016 and 2018. All patients had a high grade of apical prolapse. No intraoperative and major postoperative complications were registered. The median follow-up was 24 months (24-48). PGI-I score was 1-2 in 55 (91.6 %) women. We observed a significant improvement of EQ-5D index and VAS scores from the baseline to the 2 years follow-up: from 0.72 (0.67-1) to 0.91 (0.79-1) and from 50 (30-90) to 70 (50-100) respectively (p = 0.000). All women showed a statistically significant amelioration of FSDS and ICIQ-SF scores. Anatomical success rate after 24 months was 83.7 %.

CONCLUSIONS

l-HUSLS appears to be a safe, feasible and effective treatment for advanced pelvic organ prolapse with high rates of patient self-reported cure.

Risk factors of vaginal cuff infection in women undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign gynecological diseases

AIM

This study aimed to identify the risk factors for vaginal cuff infection after laparoscopic hysterectomy for benign gynecological diseases.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study among 1559 Japanese women who underwent total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) for benign indications between 2014 and 2018 at Teine Keijinkai Hospital in Sapporo, Japan. All patients received preoperative antibiotics based on appropriate timing, choice, and weight-based dosing. We assessed the risk factors of vaginal cuff infection after TLH, including demographic and clinical variables, and patient- and surgery-related factors, using univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

Among all the patients who underwent TLH, 71 cases of vaginal cuff infections (4.6%) were recorded. Univariate analyses showed that current smoking, pathological result of adenomyosis, use of Seprafilm as an antiadhesive material, white blood cell counts on postoperative day (POD) 2, C-reactive protein (CRP) level on POD2 and postoperative vaginal cuff hematoma were significantly associated with an increased risk of vaginal cuff infection. In multivariate analysis, current smoking, use of seprafilm, CRP level on POD2 and vaginal cuff hematoma were significantly associated with an increased risk of vaginal cuff infection.

CONCLUSION

Current smoking, use of seprafilm, CRP level on POD2 and vaginal cuff hematoma were identified as significant risk factors of vaginal cuff infection in the 30 days after surgery in Japanese women who underwent TLH for benign indications.

Laparoscopic hysterectomy: total or subtotal? - Functional and didactic aspects

Hysterectomy remains one of the most commonly performed gynecological procedures. The distinction between total and subtotal (supracervical) hysterectomy has many facets. Based on anatomical structures, a distinction is made between total and subtotal hysterectomy. In the present report, various factors affecting therapy decisions are examined individually and viewed in the context of the existing published literature. The surgical steps of total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) and laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy (LASH) are described didactically. Medical-ethical aspects of the increasingly complex balance between the scarcity of resources on the one hand, and growing demands on the other, form the basis of our medical decisions.