Introduction and hypothesis: The effect of hysterectomy on vesicourethral functions remains controversial. The objective of this study was to examine the association between hysterectomy and de novo lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs).
Methods: We identified 8514 patients who had undergone hysterectomy between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2012, from Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) Research Database. A control cohort, comprising 34,056 age-matched patients who had not undergone hysterectomy, was created for comparison. All hysterectomy and control patients were followed up until diagnosis as having LUTSs (dysuria, urinary retention, incontinence, and increased urinary frequency and urgency), withdrawal from the NHI system, death, or December 31, 2013. Patients were excluded if LUTSs were diagnosed before or at the time of hysterectomy.
Results: The adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of subsequent de novo LUTSs was higher in the hysterectomy patients [1.57, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.46-1.70] than in the controls during the follow-up period. Compared with the controls, the highest risk of de novo LUTSs was noted in patients who had undergone vaginal hysterectomy (VH; aHR 1.89, 95% CI 1.57-2.28) followed by those who had undergone laparoscopy-assisted VH (LAVH; aHR 1.74, 95% CI 1.56-1.94).
Conclusions: We found that undergoing hysterectomy was associated with increased risks of developing lower urinary tract symptoms in women. This association was more pronounced for women undergoing the vaginal or laparoscopically assisted hysterectomy. Further large-scale prospective studies or clinical trials are needed to explore whether causality exists.
Keywords: Dysuria; Hysterectomy; Incontinence; Lower urinary tract function; Population.