Withagen Mariëlla I J, Vierhout Mark E, Milani Alfredo L
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 791, Secretariaat Obstetrie and Gynaecologie, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Int Urogynecol J. 2010 Mar;21(3):271-8. doi: 10.1007/s00192-009-1028-1. Epub 2009 Nov 10.
The objective of this study was to assess the effect of the tension-free vaginal mesh (Prolift) procedure on the non-treated and initially unaffected vaginal compartments.
This prospective observational cohort study involved 150 patients who underwent a Prolift procedure. Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) quantification and evaluation of prolapse symptoms with validated questionnaires was performed pre-operatively and 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Primary outcome was the rate of POP stage > or = II in the non-treated vaginal compartments.
Twenty-three percent of all patients developed a de novo POP stage > or = II in the untreated compartment. This occurred in 46% and 25% of patients after an isolated anterior and isolated posterior Prolift, respectively.
Tension-free vaginal mesh treatment of one vaginal compartment seems to provoke the development of vaginal prolapse in initially unaffected vaginal compartments, particularly after an isolated anterior Prolift procedure.