Mesh erosion following abdominal sacral colpopexy in the absence and presence of the cervical stump

Abstract

We compared the role of abdominal sacral colpopexy (ASCP) with concomitant supracervical hysterectomy to ASCP alone in patients with prior hysterectomy in the prevention of mesh erosion. We performed a retrospective chart review of 277 consecutive patients who underwent ASCP with one surgeon. Patients were separated into two groups based on the presence of a uterus at the time of surgery. Group A comprised195 patients with a uterus who underwent ASCP and concomitant supracervical hysterectomy; group B comprised 82 patients with prior total hysterectomy who underwent ASCP. The outcome measures included peri- and postoperative findings, complications, and surgical success. Data were analyzed by t test and chi-square test using SPSS software. No significant difference was found between groups during surgery in terms of anesthesia type, total operative time, and estimated intraoperative blood loss. At mean postoperative follow-up of 7-8 months, there was no difference between groups in terms of de novo urinary symptoms, recurrent vaginal-wall prolapse, or dyspareunia and Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) point C examination. Sling erosion was observed in four (4.2 %) patients in group A versus none in group B. Apical mesh erosion was diagnosed in one patient in group A (0.5 %) and two (2.4 %) patients in group B. These differences were not statistically significant. Concomitant supracervical hysterectomy with ASCP was associated with a low incidence of mesh erosion and had the same intraoperative course and postoperative outcome as ASCP with previous hysterectomy.