Mesh-related infections after pelvic organ prolapse repair surgery

Abstract

The use of vaginal meshes has been an advance in the surgical management of women with pelvic organ prolapse. We reviewed the literature to synthesize the evidence regarding the infectious complications related to this new type of foreign body. We searched PubMed, current contents, and references of initially identified relevant articles and extracted data regarding the incidence, clinical manifestation, and management of vaginal mesh-related infections. The incidence of mesh-related infections and erosion ranged from 0 to 8%, and 0 to 33%, respectively, in the published studies. Various factors influence the development of vaginal mesh-related infectious complications such as the kind of biomedical material (e.g. filament structure, pore size) of the mesh, the type of procedure, the preventive measures taken, and the age and underlying comorbidity of the treated women. Non-specific pelvic pain, persistent vaginal discharge or bleeding, dyspareunia, and urinary or faecal incontinence are the most common manifestation of vaginal mesh-related infection. Clinical examination may reveal induration of the vaginal incision, vaginal granulation tissue, draining sinus tracts, and prosthesis erosion or rejection. Various pathogens have been implicated, including Gram-positive and Gram-negative aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. The management of mesh-related infections in women who underwent pelvic organ reconstruction is combined surgical and medical treatment. Although the use of vaginal meshes has become a new effective method of pelvic organ prolapse surgery clinicians should be aware of the various post-operative complications, including mesh-related infections.