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 Oct 13.
doi: 10.1007/s00192-025-06381-x. Online ahead of print.

Patient-Reported Long-Term Outcomes of Laparoscopic Sacrocolpopexy

Georgina Baines  1   2 , Panos Safioleas  3 , Joanna Hill  4 , Helen Jefferis  4 , Simon Jackson  4 , Matthew Izett-Kay  4
Affiliations

Patient-Reported Long-Term Outcomes of Laparoscopic Sacrocolpopexy

Georgina Baines et al. Int Urogynecol J. .

Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis: Laparoscopic mesh sacrocolpopexy (LSC) is an effective treatment option for post-hysterectomy vault prolapse. The use of nonabsorbable mesh can be associated with adverse events (AEs) although long-term studies are lacking. This study aimed to report the rate of mesh-related AEs following LSC.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional postal questionnaire study of women who underwent LSC from 2011 to 2023 at a tertiary UK centre. Participants were identified through surgical databases.

Results: The primary outcome was patient-reported mesh complication requiring reoperation. Secondary outcomes included use of pain services, Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I) scores and reoperation for prolapse or incontinence. There was a 58% (n = 334) completion rate from 574 eligible women identified. The median follow-up was 116 months (range 11-221). The rate of reoperation for a mesh-related AE was 1.5% (n = 5) and 3% (n = 10) were under the care of a pain specialist due to mesh-related pain. When asked how their prolapse symptoms were compared to pre-LSC, 5.7% reported them as 'very much worse' or 'much worse', compared to 70.4% who rated their symptoms 'very much better' or 'much better'. The operative rate for recurrent prolapse was 12% (n = 41) and for stress incontinence 7% (n = 23).

Conclusions: At nearly 10 years following LSC, the risk of reoperation for a mesh-related AE in this large cross-sectional study is only 1.5% and rates of chronic pain service use are low. Reassuringly, most women report ongoing satisfaction with prolapse symptoms and rates of reoperation appear favourable. These data will support the counselling of women in the UK seeking abdominal mesh surgical treatment for post-hysterectomy vault prolapse.

Keywords: Long-term; Mesh; Prolapse; Sacrocolpopexy; Safety.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethical Approval: West Midlands – Black Country Research and Ethics Committee 15/3/23, REC Reference: 22/WM/0267, Protocol number: 16416, IRAS ID: 317105S. Funding: No funding was received for conducting this study. Conflicts of Interests: None.

References

    1. Thys SD, et al. A comparison of long-term outcome between Manchester Fothergill and vaginal hysterectomy as treatment for uterine descent. Int Urogynecol J. 2011;22(9):1171–8. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Haylen BT, et al. An International Urogynecological Association (IUGA)/International Continence Society (ICS) joint report on the terminology for female pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Int Urogynecol J. 2016;27(4):655–84. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hagen S, et al. Individualised pelvic floor muscle training in women with pelvic organ prolapse (POPPY): a multicentre randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2014;383(9919):796–806. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sarma S, Ying T, Moore KH. Long-term vaginal ring pessary use: discontinuation rates and adverse events. BJOG. 2009;116(13):1715–21. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lane FE. Repair of posthysterectomy vaginal-vault prolapse. Obstet Gynecol. 1962;20:72–7. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources