No abstract

Anal sphincter defects detected using endoanal sonography are common, occurring in 12 % of primiparous women, and are significantly associated with other less severe perineal lacerations. Overall and combining sonographically detected defects with clinically diagnosed lacerations, we estimate that 17.8 % of primiparous women delivered vaginally sustain anal sphincter injuries. The intraobserver agreement for diagnosis of sphincter defects is very good and the interobserver agreement is good.

Background Many women without preexisting stress urinary incontinence (SUI) who undergo vaginal surgery to correct pelvic organ prolapse will develop symptoms of SUI. A concomitant prophylactic anti-incontinence procedure may prevent SUI symptom development in women undergoing vaginal prolapse surgery. Purpose To present the rationale, design and methodology of a randomized controlled surgical trial (RCT), the Outcomes Following Vaginal Prolapse Repair and Mid Urethral Sling (OPUS) Trial. The primary aims of this RCT are to determine (1) whether the prevalence of post-operative urinary incontinence (UI) differs between stress continent women receiving vaginal prolapse repair with concomitant tension-free vaginal tape (TVT®; a sling procedure commonly used to treat SUI) and those with only sham incisions at 3 months post surgery (2) whether it is more cost-effective to place a TVT prophylactically than to treat the SUI symptoms postoperatively as they occur over a 12 month period after the index surgery.. The study also incorporates a patient preference trial (PPT). Methods Primary outcome, defined as signs (positive cough stress test), symptoms (per validated questionnaire) and/or need for treatment of SUI and its associated cost, at 3 and 12 months post-operatively. Secondary outcomes consist of group differences in lower urinary tract and prolapse symptoms, health related quality of life, measures of vaginal anatomy, and surgical complications. Limitations Given the invasive nature of surgical intervention trials, some individuals may be reluctant to agree with random assignment, potentially impacting result generalizability. To evaluate the magnitude and direction of non-participation bias, the PPT will enroll a sample of those who decline participation in the RCT but are otherwise eligible. Conclusion This sham-controlled RCT will provide important information for patients and surgeons regarding both the short- and long-term optimal treatment approach for stress continent women undergoing a vaginal surgery for prolapse. Non-participation bias will be estimated.

Introduction and hypothesisThe aim of the study was to determine whether successful incontinence pessary fitting or pessary size can be predicted by specific POPQ measurements in women without advanced pelvic organ prolapse.MethodsIn a multicenter study, women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and POPQ stage ≤2 were randomized to three treatment arms: (1) incontinence pessary, (2) behavioral therapy, or (3) both. This study evaluates incontinence pessary size, POPQ measures, and successful fitting in the 266 women assigned to treatment arms 1 and 3.ResultsTwo hundred thirty-five women (92%) were successfully fitted with an incontinence ring (n = 122) or dish (n = 113). Hysterectomy, genital hiatus (GH), and GH/total vaginal length (TVL) ratios did not predict unsuccessful fitting (p > 0.05). However, mean TVL was greater in women successfully fitted (9.6 vs. 8.8 cm, p < 0.01). Final pessary diameter was not predicted by TVL, point D, or point C (p > 0.05).ConclusionsThe vast majority of women with SUI can be successfully fitted with an incontinence pessary, but specific POPQ measures were not helpful in determining incontinence pessary size.