Incontinence surgery in the older woman

Demographic risk factors for mid-urethral sling failure. Do they really matter?

Age, obesity and vaginal deliveries (VD) are recognized risk factors for stress urinary incontinence (SUI). According to many authors, the abovementioned risk factors for incontinence also increase the risk of mid-urethral sling (MUS) failure. Our aim was to evaluate the objective and subjective effectiveness of retropubic MUS in 12 months observation, relative to the three potential risk factors of failure: obesity, age and VDs. A prospective observational study including 238 women who underwent retropubic MUS implantation was performed. Patients were divided into subgroups: obese vs non-obese, <65 vs ≥65 years old and no history of VD vs ≥1 VD. Follow-up took place between 6 and 12 months post-surgery. Cough test, 1-hour pad test, pelvic floor ultrasound examination, and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire 7 (IIQ-7) results were assessed pre- and post-operatively. Of the 238 patients, 208 (86.3%) completed a minimum follow-up period of 12 months. Significant improvement in the pad test was observed in all patients (83.2 ± 78.6 g vs 0.7 ± 3.3 g). Negative cough test results were obtained in over 94% of patients. Significant improvement in the IIQ7 results was observed in all patients (74.2 ± 17.7 vs 5.5 ± 13.4). No significant differences in all the analyzed parameters with regard to BMI, age and parity were observed. No combination of risk factors influenced the objective and subjective cure rates. Our study demonstrated that older age, obesity and history of VDs have no impact on objective and subjective sling effectiveness in a short term observation. There is no influence of combined demographic features on the failure risk.

Mid-urethral slings in young, middle-aged, and older women

AIMS

To compare subjective and objective outcomes of mid-urethral sling (MUS) surgery in women in different age decades and the utilization rates for MUS in Norwegian women.

METHODS

Data from the national Norwegian Female Incontinence Registry on 21 832 women with stress or mixed urinary incontinence who underwent MUS surgery from 1998 to 2016 were used. Primary outcomes were treatment satisfaction and absence of objective stress leakage at 6-12 months follow-up and "MUS utilization rate." Secondary outcomes were increase in urgency incontinence symptoms and surgical complications.

RESULTS

Women in the sixth decade and older had more objective postoperative stress urinary leakage, and women in the seventh decade and older were less satisfied. Urgency incontinence symptoms (persistent and de novo) after MUS increased with age. Intermittent catheterization occurred significantly more often in the seventh decade and bladder perforation in the seventh and eighth decades. Women younger than the fifth decade had fewer complications, except the need for tape transection in the fourth decade. The "MUS utilization rate" increased in all age groups during the study period, but declined slightly in the oldest age group after 2010.

CONCLUSION

All age groups had a high percentage of "very satisfied" and no objective stress leakage at 6-12 months follow-up, but declining slightly with age after the sixth decade. Urgency incontinence symptom bother increased with age, but the overall complication rates were low. Our study strengthens the argument that management of stress urinary incontinence with MUS seems suitable regardless of age.

A current perspective on geriatric lower urinary tract dysfunction

Lower urinary tract dysfunction-such as urinary incontinence (UI), detrusor overactivity, and benign prostatic hyperplasia-is prevalent in elderly persons. These conditions can interfere with daily life and normal functioning and lead to negative effects on health-related quality of life. UI is one of the most common urologic conditions but is poorly understood elderly persons. The overall prevalence of UI increases with age in both men and women. Elderly persons often neglect UI or dismiss it as part of the normal aging process. However, UI can have significant negative effects on self-esteem and has been associated with increased rates of depression. UI also affects quality of life and activities of daily living. Although UI is more common in elderly than in younger persons, it should not be considered a normal part of aging. UI is abnormal at any age. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of the cause, classification, evaluation, and management of geriatric lower urinary tract dysfunction.

Urinary incontinence in the aging female: etiology, pathophysiology and treatment options

Not only does the prevalence of incontinence increase with age, but the incidence does as well, in no small part due to the greater recognition of its signs and symptoms and the significant negative impact on quality of life. Elderly women differ from their younger counterparts by the presence of several physiologic changes in the urinary tract, as well as the presence of concomitant morbidity and polypharmacy. While the elderly have the same treatment options as younger women, they may experience a greater incidence of adverse events due to urologic and nonurologic factors. The objective of this article is to elucidate the unique changes in the elderly population and summarize the treatment options.

Patient-reported outcomes after combined surgery for pelvic floor disorders in older compared to younger women

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to compare patient-reported outcomes after combined surgery for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) between older and younger women.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a retrospective cohort study including 122 younger (<65 years) and 70 older women (>/=65 years old) who underwent combined POP and SUI surgery. SUI and POP treatment failure were based on validated measures. Logistic regression was used to calculate adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence interval [CI].

RESULTS

Mean follow-up was 10 +/- 1.2 months. Women in both age groups reported significant improvement in symptoms and life impact postoperatively. In multivariable analyses, older women had an increased odds of SUI treatment failure (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.10; 95% CI, 1.05-2.5), but not POP treatment failure (AOR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.29-2.8).

CONCLUSION

Women 65 years and older undergoing combined surgery for POP and SUI are at risk for recurrent SUI, but still experience significant improvements in symptoms and life impact.

Two-year outcomes after surgery for stress urinary incontinence in older compared with younger women

OBJECTIVE

To estimate whether perioperative and postoperative outcomes after Burch colposuspension or pubovaginal sling for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) differed with age.

METHODS

This study was a prospective secondary analysis of the Stress Incontinence Surgical Treatment Efficacy Trial. Baseline characteristics, adverse events, and 2-year outcomes of women at least 65 years old were compared with those younger than 65 years using chi(2) and t tests. Multivariable analyses were performed, including age and outcomes that differed between age groups on univariable analysis, adjusting for variables that differed by age group at baseline and by surgical treatment group.

RESULTS

Six-hundred fifty-five women were included in analyses of perioperative events and 520 for 2-year outcomes. Mean age (+/-standard deviation) was 69.7 (+/-3.7) years in the older group and 49.4 (+/-8.2) in the younger group. Older women had slightly longer time to normal activities (50 days compared with 42 days, P=.05), but there was no difference in time to normal voiding (14 days compared with 11 days, P=.42). Older women were more likely to have a positive stress test at follow-up (odds ratio [OR] 3.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.70-7.97, P=.001), less subjective improvement in stress (8 point lesser decrease, 95% CI 1.5-14.1, P=.02), and urge incontinence (7 point lesser decrease, 95% CI 1.5-12.2, P=.01) by the Medical and Epidemiologic Social Aspects of Aging questionnaire, and were more likely to undergo surgical retreatment for SUI (OR 3.9, 95% CI 1.30-11.48). Perioperative adverse events and length of stay did not differ between groups.

CONCLUSION

Older women undergoing surgery for stress incontinence can expect to do as well as younger women with respect to perioperative outcomes, but experience 2-year outcomes that are worse.

The age distribution, rates, and types of surgery for pelvic organ prolapse in the USA

The objective of this study was to describe the distribution of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) surgery across age groups in the USA in 2003. Patients were grouped into four age categories: Reproductive age, perimenopausal, postmenopausal, and elderly. Data from the 2003 National Hospital Discharge Survey and National Census were used to estimate surgical rates by age group. In 2003, 199,698 women underwent a total of 311,587 surgical procedures for POP. Prolapse surgical rates (per 10,000 women) were 7, 24, 31, and 17 in reproductive age, perimenopausal, postmenopausal, and elderly age groups, respectively. Surgical complications occurred in 28.8, 19.6, 18.6, and 22.1% of women in these age groups, respectively. Mortality was uncommon. Although often considered a condition of the elderly, this study suggests that pelvic organ prolapse is a condition affecting women across the reproductive life cycle and for which women of all ages seek surgical treatment.