Laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy with or without midurethral sling insertion: Is a two- step approach justified? A prospective study.

OBJECTIVE

Most data support the fact that women with symptomatic pelvic organ prolapse (POP) with concomitant symptomatic or occult stress urinary incontinence (SUI) benefit from concurrent POP and anti-incontinence procedure. However some data support a delayed or 2-step approach. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (SCP) alone with a delayed approach for SUI to prove the justification of a 2-step approach.

STUDY DESIGN

A prospective study from 2014 to 2016 including women with symptomatic POP ≥ stage 2 prolapse and concomitant SUI or occult SUI. Laparoscopic SCP for apical or multi-compartment POP with or without concomitant MUS insertion was performed. Primary outcome measures were asymptomatic regarding SUI after prolapse surgery alone, persisting SUI with or without subsequent anti-incontinence surgery.

RESULTS

A SCP alone was performed on 62 women. Stress urinary incontinence was seen in 31% with SCP alone and a third of those women needed an additional midurethral sling for persisting SUI. Women who chose a combined surgery for POP and incontinence with SCP and a suburethral sling the postoperative success rate regarding SUI was 100% with two women needing a sling release.

CONCLUSION

We showed that women with POP with concomitant stress urinary incontinence undergoing sacrocolpopexy benefitted from a two-step approach as only 11% needed an additional incontinence procedure. This study highlights the importance of pre-operative counselling. It should be tailored to the individual woman.