Anterior-Apical Transvaginal Mesh (Surelift) for Advanced Urogenital Prolapse: Surgical and Functional Outcomes at 1 Year

Abstract

Study objective: To determine the objective and subjective outcomes of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) surgery using a modified Surelift system (Neomedic International, Barcelona, Spain) and to evaluate surgical complications and postoperative impact on quality of life (QOL) and lower urinary tract symptoms.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Tertiary-care university hospital.

Patients: Patients with symptomatic anterior or apical POP stage III and above.

Interventions: All patients underwent pelvic reconstructive surgery with a modified Surelift transvaginal mesh kit.

Measurements and main results: Eighty-three women who underwent pelvic reconstructive surgery with a modified Surelift for symptomatic anterior or apical prolapse stage III and above from April 2018 to January 2019 were reviewed retrospectively. All completed a 72-hour voiding diary, urodynamic study, and multiple validated QOL questionnaires at baseline and at between 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Descriptive statistics were used for demographics and perioperative data. Paired-samples t test and the McNemar test were applied for comparison of pre- and postoperative continuous and categoric data, respectively. The primary outcomes were the objective cure of POP, defined as anterior and apical prolapse Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification System ≤ stage I, and subjective cure on the basis of negative answers to Pelvic Organ Prolapse Distress Inventory 6. The objective and subjective cure rates at 1 year were 97.6% and 92.8%, respectively. There were significant improvements in QOL scores postoperatively. Although bladder outlet obstruction improved, de novo urodynamic stress incontinence and stress urinary incontinence were increased at 18.9% and 21.6%, respectively, at 1-year follow-up. The mesh extrusion rate was 4.8%.

Conclusion: A modified Surelift has good objective and subjective cure rates at 1 year postoperatively with 4.8% mesh extrusion rate. There was significant improvement in lower urinary tract symptoms and QOL. De novo urodynamic stress incontinence at 6 months to 12 months was increased, but it was not sufficiently bothersome to warrant surgery.

Keywords: Anterior-apical mesh; Outcomes; Pelvic organ prolapse.