Role of perioperative low dose vaginal oestrogens in improving the outcomes of pelvic organ prolapse surgery

Abstract

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is the most common gynaecological disorder requiring surgical treatment in postmenopausal women. Surgical treatment of POP might include anterior or posterior vaginal repair, vaginal hysterectomy, vault fixation procedures like sacrocolpopexy and sacrospinous fixation. Complications of POP surgery include excessive bleeding, visceral injuries, postoperative wound infection, urinary tract infection (UTI), sexual dysfunction secondary to vaginal scarring and recurrence. Postmenopausal vaginal atrophy may increase the risk of visceral injuries due to thinning of vaginal wall and also increases the risk of surgical site wound infections due to alteration of vaginal flora and urinary tract infections (UTI). Use of vaginal low dose oestrogens to treat atrophy of the vagina may improve the subjective cure rates and minimise surgical site wound infections by altering the vaginal flora to premenopausal levels. To date there has not been any data on the outcomes of POP surgery when low dose vaginal oestrogens are used perioperatively. Hence we want to study the effectiveness of vaginal low dose oestrogen on the outcome of POP surgery in postmenopausal women.