Objectives: The study aimed to assess the relationship between urethrovesical junction (UVJ) descent and development of de novo stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and postoperative progression of preexisting SUI following surgery for pelvic organ floor prolapse using the method of sacrospinal fixation (SSF). This was a secondary analysis of the SAME prospective randomized multicentre study (reg. no. NCT03053479) comparing three approaches to surgery for apical defects - sacropexy, SSF and transvaginal mesh.
Methods: The subanalysis included 81 patients with apical defects managed by SSF, either right-sided (N = 14, 17.3%) or bilateral (N = 67, 82.7%). Postoperative follow-up was assessed at 3 months (N = 59), 12 months (N = 47) and 24 months (N = 30). UVJ mobility at rest and with maximum effort, the Valsalva manoeuvre was determined using a standardized 3D/ 4D transperineal ultrasound protocol proposed by Dietz et al. De novo SUI and postoperative progression of preexisting SUI were ascertained from history.
Results: Preoperative demographic data (N = 81) were as follows: BMI 27.3 kg/ m2 (16.8-44.5), age 67.0 years (31-85), and parity 2 (1-6). Concomitant anterior repair was performed in 65.4%. Postoperative progression of SUI was 45.8% at 3 months, 21.3% at 12 months, and 23.3% at 24 months. There were significant differences between preoperative and postoperative UVJ descent values at 3, 12 and 24 months (P < 0.0001). Correlations between UVJ descent at 3, 12 and 24 months postoperatively and de novo SUI or progression of preexisting SUI at 3, 12 and 24 months postoperatively were not statistically significant (P = 0.051-0.883). Correlations between differences (preoperative UVJ descent minus UVJ descent at 3, 12 and 24 months postoperatively) and de novo SUI or progression of preexisting SUI at 3, 12 and 24 months postoperatively were not statistically significant (P = 0.691-0.779).
Conclusions: The study showed significant changes in UVJ descent values preoperatively and at 3, 12 and 24 months after SSF. There were no significant correlations between UVJ descent and de novo SUI and postoperative progression of preexisting SUI following surgery for pelvic organ floor prolapse at 3-, 12- and 24-month follow-up. There were no signifi cant correlations between differences (preoperative UVJ descent minus UVJ descent at 3, 12 and 24 months postoperatively and de novo SUI and postoperative progression of preexisting SUI following surgery for pelvic organ floor prolapse at 3-, 12- and 24-month follow-up.
Keywords: pelvic floor ultrasound; pelvic organ prolapse; sacrospinous ligament fixation; sacrospinous suspension; stress urinary incontinence; urethrovesical junction mobility.