Impact of Laparoscopic Prolapse Repair in the Levator Hiatus Area.

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To determine whether laparoscopic surgery by sacrocolpopexy or sacrocervicopexy with posterior mesh attachment to levator ani to treat pelvic organ prolapse reduces the levator hiatus area, as measured by transperineal 3- and 4-dimensional ultrasound. The secondary objective was to assess the risk factors for prolapse recurrence.

DESIGN

This is a prospective cohort study.

SETTING

A university tertiary hospital.

PATIENTS

Women with symptomatic apical prolapse at a high risk of recurrence were included. High risk of recurrence was defined as age <60 years and levator injury (avulsion and/or ballooning) or stage III-IV prolapse Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification.

INTERVENTIONS

Women were treated with laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy or sacrocervicopexy.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Women underwent clinical examination according to assessment by the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification system and transperineal ultrasound for the levator hiatus area at Valsalva. We collected demographic, clinical, and ultrasound data before surgery from clinical records and performed a comparative analysis of the levator hiatus areas before and after surgery and univariate and multivariate analyses of the risk factors for recurrence. Among the 30 women who enrolled, the levator hiatus area at Valsalva decreased significantly after surgery by an average of 4.68 cm (p = .028). However, despite a recurrence rate of 13.3%, we found no risk factors associated with recurrence in either the univariate or the multivariate analyses.

CONCLUSION

Laparoscopic surgery by sacrocolpopexy or sacrocervicopexy for pelvic organ prolapse with mesh posterior attachment to levator ani significantly reduces the levator hiatus area measured by transperineal ultrasound. Further large-scale studies will be needed to confirm our results and identify risk factors for recurrence.