Sybil G. Dessie

Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy as Primary Treatment of Pelvic Floor Disorders With Urinary Urgency and Frequency-Predominant Symptoms.

Objective To assess the efficacy of pelvic floor physical therapy (PFPT) as primary treatment of urinary urgency and frequency symptoms Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study of women with urinary urgency and frequency symptoms. Participants underwent PFPT once or twice per week for 10 weeks. Symptom improvement was assessed by validated questionnaires (Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-Short Form 20 and Patient Global Impression of Improvement), voiding diaries, and subjective measures. Results Fifty-seven participants enrolled; 21 (36.8%) withdrew or completed less than 5 weeks of PFPT. Thirty-one (54.4%) of the remaining 36 participants completed 10 weeks of PFPT. The mean age of the study group (n = 36) was 48.9 ± 15.0 years. The primary diagnoses were overactive bladder syndrome (n = 24, 66.7%) and painful bladder syndrome (n = 12, 33.3%). Women attended a median of 14.0 (interquartile range [IQR], 8.0–16.0) PFPT visits over a median of 11.9 weeks (IQR, 10.0–18.1). At baseline, the median Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-Short Form 20 score was 79.2 (IQR, 53.1–122.9), and decreased to 50.0 (IQR, 25.0–88.5; P < 0.001) after PFPT; the urinary and prolapse symptom subscales both decreased significantly. Participants reported a decrease from a median of 10.0 voids per day to 8.0 (P < 0.001). On the Patient Global Impression of Improvement, 62.5% of women reported that they were “much better” or “very much better.” Conclusions The PFPT with myofasical release techniques improves urinary symptoms while avoiding medications and more invasive therapies. The high dropout rates suggest that motivation or logistic factors may play a significant role in the utilization and success of this treatment option.

Effect of Scopolamine Patch Use on Postoperative Voiding Function After Transobturator Slings.

Objectives The aim of this study was to determine whether the use of a preoperative transdermal scopolamine (TDS) patch for postoperative nausea and vomiting prophylaxis affects the success of a voiding trial after a transobturator tape sling procedure. Methods This study is a retrospective cohort study of adult women who underwent a transobturator tape sling procedure without concomitant procedures from February 1, 2009 through August 1, 2010. The exposed group included all eligible women who received a preoperative TDS patch. For each exposed woman, we selected the next 2 consecutive eligible women who did not receive a TDS patch to be included in the unexposed group. The primary outcome was postoperative voiding trial failure. Results We identified 35 women who met eligibility criteria and used a preoperative TDS patch, and included 70 women who did not use a preoperative TDS. A significantly higher proportion of women in the TDS patch group (54.3%) failed their voiding trial than in the group that did not receive TDS (7.1%, P ⩽ 0.001). A history of an incontinence procedure, older age, and higher body mass index strengthened the association between TDS patch and voiding trial failure. The adjusted model yielded a risk ratio for voiding trial failure of 13.8 (95% confidence interval, 5.2–36.5) for women who received TDS patch compared with those who did not. Conclusions The results of this study demonstrate that use of TDS patches for postoperative nausea and vomiting prophylaxis may negatively affect the success of voiding trials after transobturator tape sling procedures.

The Role of Preoperative Urodynamics in Urogynecologic Procedures

Urodynamic studies refer to any tests that provide objective information about lower urinary tract function with the goal of evaluating bladder and urethral function. Pre-operative urodynamic testing is commonly performed prior to urogynecologic procedures for urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Although the utility of preoperative urodynamics testing before urogynecologic procedures have been challenged in the literature, the preoperative utilization of urodynamic testing in women with complex voiding dysfunction or associated conditions such as prolapse or urethral diverticulum is still considered important for surgical planning and pre-operative counseling.

Characterization of pain after inside-out transobturator midurethral sling.

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence, severity, duration, and location of pain after transobturator midurethral sling. Methods We evaluated patients who underwent inside-out transobturator sling from March 2011 through February 2013. Presence of pelvic girdle pain, its severity, and location were documented preoperatively and at 2- and 6-week postoperative visits. Pain severity was measured on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the “worst imaginable” pain. Results Of the 130 women analyzed, the median age was 50.0 years (interquartile range, 44.0–62.0). Thirty-nine percent of women reported preoperative pain, mostly mild with a median score of 1.0 (1.0–5.0). The most common sites of postoperative-onset pain were the lateral leg, medial leg, groin, and low back. Women reporting preoperative pain were not more likely to report postoperative-onset pain than women without preoperative pain (P = 0.42). Twelve percent of women at 2 weeks and 0.8% at 6 weeks reported severe postoperative-onset pain. Women reporting postoperative-onset pain were equally likely to be satisfied with the procedure as those without pain at 2 (P = 0.76) and 6 (P = 0.74) weeks. Conclusions Women undergoing transobturator sling commonly report preoperative pain. An expected postoperative increase in pain generally resolved by the sixth postoperative week. The lateral leg was the most common site of pain. Postoperative-onset pain was not associated with decreased patient satisfaction.

Association between body mass index and pain following transobturator sling.

Abstract We aimed to prospectively evaluate the association between body mass index (BMI) and development of postoperative-onset pain in women undergoing transobturator midurethral sling procedures. We conducted a prospective, observational cohort study of women undergoing inside-to-out transobturator midurethral sling. At preoperative visit, height, weight, self-reported activity level and baseline pain were documented. At postoperative visits, patients indicated pain location and severity, procedure success, and satisfaction. We used log binomial regression to calculate risk ratios, controlling for potential confounders. For the 129 women included, median age was 50.0 years and BMI was 27.2 kg/m2. Adjusting for age and activity level, overweight and obese women had significantly increased risk of postoperative-onset pain compared to normal BMI women. Overweight women were at 1.70 (95%CI 1.05–2.75) times the risk compared to leaner counterparts, whereas obese women were at 1.76 times the risk (95%CI 1.04–2.89). Neither success nor satisfaction was associated with BMI. Impact statement Over three million midurethral slings have been placed worldwide for the treatment or prevention of stress urinary incontinence. The procedure has been studied in lean, overweight and obese populations, and found to have similar efficacy regardless of BMI. Similarly, the risks of midurethral sling have been well-documented, including the risk of pain after transobturator sling. Little attention has been given to whether this risk of postoperative pain varies based on patient BMI. Our previous work suggesting that leaner patients might be at increased risk of postoperative pain following transobturator sling was limited by the shortcomings of a retrospective study design. In this prospective study, we were able to adjust for age and activity level, finding that higher BMI women were at increased risk of postoperative pain, while reporting similar levels of satisfaction with the procedure. Future research is needed to find what differences in anatomy or physiology can explain this finding. From a clinical standpoint, thorough counselling of all patients but particularly those with elevated BMI, is required so that appropriate expectations regarding recovery can be set preoperatively.

Obliterative Versus Reconstructive Prolapse Repair for Women Older than 70: Is There an Optimal Approach?

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate outcomes among women 70 years and older who underwent obliterative compared with reconstructive procedures for pelvic organ prolapse. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of patients 70 years and older who underwent surgical prolapse repair at our institution from January 2004 through June 2010. Only patients with at least 4 weeks of follow-up were included. Patient characteristics and relevant pre, intra, and postoperative information were abstracted from medical records. Severity of postoperative complications was classified using the Dindo surgical classification system. Results We analyzed 143 (97.3%) patients. Fifty-four (37.8%) women underwent an obliterative procedure, whereas 89 (62.2%) underwent a reconstructive procedure. Twenty-eight (31.5%) women who had a reconstructive surgery met our criteria for recurrent prolapse compared with only 5 (9.3%) women in the obliterative group (P = 0.002). The incidence of intraoperative complication was 4.9%, and the incidence of any postoperative complication was 62.9%. Similar proportions of women who underwent each type of procedure experienced a postoperative complication. However, the severity of the complications differed between the groups (P = 0.02). In particular, 16.9% of women who had a reconstructive procedure experienced a grade III complication according to the Dindo scale compared with 13.0% of women who had an obliterative procedure. Conclusions The majority of women 70 years and older do not have high-grade complications after pelvic organ prolapse repair, but women who undergo reconstructive procedures are more likely to experience high-grade complications and recurrent prolapse compared with women who undergo obliterative procedures.

Laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy with transcervical morcellation and sacrocervicopexy for the treatment of uterine prolapse

Introduction and hypothesisThe objective is to describe our surgical approach for management of uterine prolapse using 5-mm skin incisions and transcervical morcellation.MethodsThis video presents a novel approach for laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy, bilateral salpingectomy, and sacrocervicopexy using only 5-mm skin incisions and transcervical morcellation. The procedure begins with a laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy with bilateral salpingectomy. A classic intrafascial supracervical hysterectomy (CISH) instrument is then used transvaginally to core the endocervical canal. A disposable morcellator is placed through the remaining cervix to morcellate the uterus and fallopian tubes. Following morcellation, the handle of the morcellator is removed, and it is used during the remainder of the surgery as an access cannula for the sacrocervicopexy. The polypropylene mesh is introduced through this cannula. It is secured to the anterior and posterior vaginal fascia with a suture that is also introduced through the transcervical port. At the conclusion of the surgery, a previously placed 0 Vicryl purse-string suture at the ectocervix is tied down as a cerclage around the cervix once the cannula is removed.ConclusionsThe transcervical morcellation technique demonstrated in this video allows the surgeon to maintain 5-mm skin incisions and core the endocervical canal during a laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy with sacrocervicopexy.

Use of a vessel loop to ensure tunnel patency during LeFort colpocleisis

IntroductionThe objective was to describe a novel method for maintaining bilateral channel patency for potential uterine drainage during LeFort colpocleisis.MethodsThis video presents a novel approach for ensuring bilateral channel patency during colpocleisis. An 88-year-old gravida 2 para 2 with stage 4 uterovaginal prolapse presented for definitive surgical management. She was no longer sexually active. After counseling on various treatment options, she elected to proceed with a LeFort colpocleisis.During the procedure, the vaginal epithelium is dissected off the underlying tissue with sharp dissection after infiltration with local anesthetic. After the epithelium is removed anteriorly and posteriorly, a blue vessel loop is placed across the cervix and within the lateral channels as they are created with a series of figure of eight stitches. Care is taken to suture around and not through the vessel loop. This is done on both sides. The anterior and posterior dissected surfaces of the vagina are then reapproximated to involute the vagina until the distal epithelial edges can be brought together. Once the vaginal epithelial edges are sewn, the vessel loop is easily pulled through, ensuring channel patency.ConclusionsThe vessel loop technique demonstrated in this video allows the surgeon to ensure that the bilateral channels remain patent throughout the procedure.