Prolapse Quality-of-life Questionnaire is a Reliable Postoperative Outcome Assessment.

OBJECTIVES

The prolapse quality-of-life (P-QOL) questionnaire is frequently used to assess changes in symptoms before and after surgery in patients with pelvic organ prolapse (POP). This study investigated whether P-QOL scores were significantly affected by pre- and postoperative conditions in patients with surgically treated POP.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study enrolled 158 patients who underwent surgery for POP at our hospital between May 2016 and May 2023. Seventy-two patients underwent laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (LSC), whereas 86 underwent transvaginal mesh (TVM) surgery. To evaluate the POP-related conditions, the 60-min pad test and the Japanese version of P-QOL were used before surgery and 6 and 12 months after surgery.

RESULTS

In patients with stage 4 POP, all P-QOL component scores, except for sleep/energy, significantly declined after surgery in the LSC group. Conversely, some component scores did not show a significant difference after the surgery in the TVM group. No significant differences in the rate of urinary incontinence, mesh exposure, or prolapse recurrence (PR) were observed between the two groups; however, the rate of PR was much higher in the TVM group than in the LSC group, although no significant differences were found in patients with stage 4 POP. Accordingly, some P-QOL component scores were significantly higher in the TVM group than in the LSC group (all < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The surgical outcomes of POP have a significant effect on P-QOL. Postoperative conditions can be evaluated using P-QOL scores.