Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Aug;44(6):1339-1343.
doi: 10.1002/nau.70094. Epub 2025 Jun 27.

Medium Term Outcomes for Robotic Sacral Colpopexy With Autologous Fascia Lata

Ramzy T Burns  1 , Morgan Black  1 , Ginnie Jeng  1 , Charles R Powell  1
Affiliations

Medium Term Outcomes for Robotic Sacral Colpopexy With Autologous Fascia Lata

Ramzy T Burns et al. Neurourol Urodyn. 2025 Aug.

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the medium-term outcomes of robotic sacral colpopexy (RSC) using autologous fascia lata for the treatment of apical pelvic organ prolapse.

Methods: An IRB-approved retrospective review was conducted on patients who underwent RSC with autologous fascia lata at a single institution between November 2017 and August 2022. Only patients with a minimum of 24 months of follow-up were included as short-term results have already been published. Data collected included patient demographics, operative details, surgical complications, Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) measurements, and patient-reported outcomes using the Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 (UDI-6) and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7 (IIQ-7). The primary outcome was the medium-term durability of autologous fascia lata RSC, with recurrence defined as > 0 cm from the hymen in any compartment on postoperative POP-Q examination or recurrence at the apex of ≥ 2 cm.

Results: Nineteen patients met the inclusion criteria, with a mean follow-up of 42.8 ± 11.9 months. All POP-Q values showed significant improvement postoperatively, with only one (6.3%) patient experiencing posterior compartment recurrence and one (6.3%) with exactly 2 cm of apical descent. One patient (5.2%) required surgical retreatment with posterior colporrhaphy and a pubovaginal sling. Patient-reported outcomes demonstrated significant improvement in UDI-6 and IIQ-7 scores (p < 0.05). Minor complications related to fascia lata harvest were observed, including seroma (10.5%), transient paresthesia (21%), hematoma (5.2%), and deep vein thrombosis (5.2%), with most resolving spontaneously.

Conclusions: RSC with autologous fascia lata provides durable medium-term anatomic and symptomatic improvement for apical POP, with low recurrence and retreatment rates. While minor harvest-related complications were observed, most were self-limiting. These findings support the use of autologous fascia lata as a viable alternative to synthetic mesh in RSC. Larger, multicenter studies with extended follow-up are needed to further validate these results.

Keywords: fascia lata; follow‐up studies; pelvic organ prolapse; robotic surgical procedures; surgical mesh.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Charles R. Powell: Medtronic—investigator; Neuspera—investigator; AUA Practice Guidelines Committee—member; Oakstone Medical Publishing—editor; Wiley Publishing—editorial board; Springer Publishing—section editor. The other authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Representative graft and the harvest site.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Configuration of the graft with anterior limb, posterior limb, and sacral arm.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Postoperative appearance of healed graft harvest site.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Costantini E., Brubaker L., Cervigni M., et al., “Sacrocolpopexy for Pelvic Organ Prolapse: Evidence‐Based Review and Recommendations,” European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 205 (2016): 60–65. - PubMed
    1. Maher C., Yeung E., Haya N., et al., “Surgery for Women With Apical Vaginal Prolapse,” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 7 (2023): 012376. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Nygaard I., Brubaker L., Zyczynski H. M., et al., “Long‐Term Outcomes Following Abdominal Sacrocolpopexy for Pelvic Organ Prolapse,” Journal of the American Medical Association 309, no. 19 (2013): 2016–2024. - PMC - PubMed
    1. “FDA's Activities: Urogynecologic Surgical Mesh,” US Food and Drug Administration, 2022.
    1. Bock M. E., Nagle R., Soyster M., et al., “Robotic Sacral Colpopexy Using Autologous Fascia Lata Compared With Mesh,” Journal of Endourology 35, no. 6 (2021): 801–807. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources