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. 2022 Jul 10;22(1):288.
doi: 10.1186/s12905-022-01866-z.

Obstetric fistula repair failure and its associated factors among women underwent repair in Yirgalem Hamlin fistula center, Sidama Regional State, Southern Ethiopia, 2021: a retrospective cross sectional study

Affiliations

Obstetric fistula repair failure and its associated factors among women underwent repair in Yirgalem Hamlin fistula center, Sidama Regional State, Southern Ethiopia, 2021: a retrospective cross sectional study

Shimelis Tadesse et al. BMC Womens Health. .

Abstract

Background: Obstetric fistula repair failure is a combination of unsuccessful fistula closure and/or incontinence following a successful closure. It causes a burden on both the patients and the fistula centers. The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude and associated factors of obstetric fistula repair failure among women who underwent fistula repair at Yirgalem Hamlin fistula center in Southern Ethiopia.

Methods: A facility-based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among women who underwent fistula repair at Yirgalem Hamlin fistula center, Southern Ethiopia, during the period from January 2016 to December 2020. All 562 women who underwent fistula repair in the last 5 years were included in the study. The data were collected using a pre-tested checklist from September 22 to October 22, 2021. The data were then imported into EPI info-data version 3.1, exported to SPSS version 25, and analyzed. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were performed, and the significant statistical test was assessed at a 95% confidence interval. Variables with a p value of < 0.05 in multivariable logistic regression were regarded to have a statistically significant relationship.

Results: The magnitude of obstetric fistula repair failure in this study was 28.8%. Obstetric fistula repair failure was found to be associated with labor duration > 48 h (AOR = 2.037; 95% CI 1.268, 3.272), Goh Type 4 fistulas (AOR = 3.939; 95% CI 1.623, 9.560), fistula size > 3 cm (AOR = 6.627; 95% CI 3.802, 11.554), completely destructed urethra (AOR = 3.192; 95% CI 1.234, 8.256), and bladder catheterization > 14 days (AOR = 2.944; 95% CI 1.380, 6.281).

Conclusions: The magnitude of obstetric fistula repair failure was significantly higher than the World Health Organization standard. Obstetric fistula repair failure had a positive association with a longer duration of labor, Goh Type 4 fistulas, large fistula size, total urethral injury, and a longer period of bladder catheterization. Therefore, the concerned bodies need to implement interventions on factors affecting obstetric fistula repair failure to reduce or prevent the failure of obstetric fistula repair.

Keywords: Fistula center; Obstetric fistula repair failure; Southern Ethiopia.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow diagram for women underwent fistula repair included for the study in Yirgalem Hamlin fistula center, Southern Ethiopia, 2021
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Fistula type of women underwent obstetric fistula repair in Yirgalem Hamlin fistula center, Southern Ethiopia, 2021
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Trend of obstetric fistula repair failure over five years in Yirgalem Hamlin fistula center, Southern Ethiopia, 2021

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