No evidence of association between native tissue vault suspension and risk of pelvic pain or sexual dysfunction

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Lisbeth Bonde
  • Ida C. Puschl
  • Lars Alling Møller
  • Bent Ottesen
  • Breinegaard, Nina
  • Helga Gimbel
Objective
Hysterectomy is suspected of increasing risk of subsequent pelvic organ prolapse (POP). In attempt to prevent this, several suspension methods during hysterectomy on benign indication are used as a prophylactic procedure. However, possible complications to the use of prophylactic vaginal vault suspension to prevent POP are not fully investigated. We aimed to elucidate prophylactic vaginal vault suspension as a possible cause for pelvic pain and sexual dysfunction.

Study design
We included all women registered with a total hysterectomy on benign indication and registered with a suspension method or specifically no suspension in the nationwide Danish Hysterectomy and Hysteroscopy Database (DHHD) between 10 May 2012 and 4 September 2013 (N = 3999). A postal questionnaire on pelvic pain and sexual dysfunction was sent to women 25.8 (range 23.8–28.4) months after hysterectomy. Questions were selected from a previous study as well as from the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ-12). We used independent samples t-tests and χ2-tests for univariate analyses. In multivariable analyses, we used log-binomial – and linear regression models adjusted for risk factors of pelvic pain and sexual dysfunction, respectively.

Results
The response rate was 60.3% (N = 2412). Of the respondents, 88.8% (N = 2143) were registered with a suspension method and 11.2% (N = 269) were registered with specifically no suspension. Overall, pelvic pain of any kind was reported in 24.3% (N = 576) of the respondents. In adjusted log-binomial regression, suspension did not increase risk of pelvic pain compared to no suspension (RR 0.92; 95% CI 0.75 to 1.14; p-value 0.45). In adjusted linear regression, suspension was significantly associated with less degree of sexual dysfunction (regression coefficient −0.92; 95% CI −1.70 to −0.14; p-value 0.02).

Conclusions
In women undergoing prophylactic vaginal vault suspension during hysterectomy, we found less sexual dysfunction and no evidence of increased risk of pelvic pain compared to women with no vaginal vault suspension.
Original languageEnglish
JournalEuropean Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology
Volume225
Pages (from-to)141-147
Number of pages7
ISSN0301-2115
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2018

    Research areas

  • Hysterectomy, Benign indication, Vaginal vault suspension, Pelvic pain, Sexual dysfunction

ID: 209830720