The exact prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse is difficult to establish. The anatomical changes do not always consist with the severity or the symptoms associated with prolapse. There are many risk factors associated with pelvic organ prolapse and this review aims to identify the epidemiology and pathophysiology while looking at the known risk factors for pelvic organ prolapse. PubMed search involved a number of terms including: epidemiology, risk factors, reoccurrence indicators, management and evaluation. Several risk factors have been associated with pelvic organ prolapse, all contribute to weakening of the pelvic floor connective tissue/collagen, allowing the pelvic organs to prolapse through the vaginal walls. Among the risk factors are genetic background, childbirth and mode of delivery, previous hysterectomy, menopausal state and the ratio between Estrogen receptors. The "Integral theory" of Petros and the "Levels of Support" model of Delancey enable us to locate the defect, diagnose and treat pelvic organ prolapse. The currently available demographic data is not reliable enough to properly estimate the true extent of pelvic organ prolapse in the population. However, standardization of the diagnosis and treatment may significantly improve our ability to estimate the true incidence and prevalence of this condition in the coming years.Copyright® by the International Brazilian Journal of Urology.

To update a previously published systematic review and perform a meta-analysis on risk factors for primary pelvic organ prolapse and prolapse recurrence.PubMed and Embase were systematically searched. We searched from July 1, 2014 until July 5, 2021. The previous search was from inception until August 4, 2014.Randomized controlled trials, cross-sectional and cohort studies conducted in Western-developed countries that reported on multivariable analysis of risk factors for primary prolapse or prolapse recurrence were included. The definition of prolapse had to be based on anatomical references and prolapse recurrence had to be defined as anatomical recurrence after native tissue repair. Studies on prolapse recurrence with a median follow-up of ≥one year after surgery were included.Quality assessment was performed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Data from the prior review and this review were combined into forest plots and meta-analysis was performed where possible. If data could not be pooled, 'confirmed risk factors' were identified if ≥two studies reported a significant association in multivariable analysis.After screening, 14 additional studies were selected: 8 on risk factors for primary prolapse and 6 on prolapse recurrence. Combined with the results from the previous review, 27 studies met the inclusion criteria representing data of 47,429 women. Not all studies could be pooled due to heterogeneity. Meta-analyses showed that birth weight (n=3, OR1.04, 95%CI 1.02-1.06), age (n=3, OR1.34, 95%CI 1.23-1.47), BMI (n=2, OR1.75, 95%CI 1.17-2.62) and levator defect (n=2, OR3.99, 95%CI 2.57-6.18) are statistically significant risk factors and cesarean delivery (n=2, pooled OR0.08, 95%CI 0.03-0.20) and smoking (n=3, OR0.59, 95%CI 0.46-0.75) are protective factors for primary prolapse. Parity, vaginal delivery and levator hiatal area are identified as 'confirmed risk factors'. For prolapse recurrence, pre-operative prolapse stage (n=5, OR2.68, 95%CI 1.93-3.73) and age (n=2, OR3.48, 95%CI 1.99-6.08) are statistically significant risk factors.Vaginal delivery, parity, birth weight, age, BMI, levator defect and levator hiatal area are risk factors and cesarean delivery and smoking are protective factors for primary prolapse. Pre-operative prolapse stage and younger age are risk factors for prolapse recurrence after native tissue surgery.Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transvaginal mesh (TVM) can increase the durability of vaginal surgical procedures for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and may be indicated in certain situations despite concerns about mesh-related complications. In addition, the expense of commercial mesh kits has limited their use. The effectiveness, safety, and cost of a self-cut mesh procedure compared with a commercial mesh-kit procedure for the surgical treatment of women with POP is unclear.

INTRODUCTION Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a condition defined by a loss of structural integrity within the vagina and often results in symptoms which greatly interfere with quality of life in women. POP is expected to increase in prevalence over the coming years, and the number of patients undergoing surgery for POP is expected to increase by up to 13%. Two categories of surgery for POP include obliterative and reconstructive surgery. Patient health status, goals, and desired outcomes must be carefully considered when selecting a surgical approach, as obliterative surgeries result in an inability to have sexual intercourse postoperatively.This review article covers the role of traditional native tissue repairs, surgical options and techniques for vaginal and abdominal reconstruction for POP and the associated complications, and considerations for prevention and management of post-cystectomy vaginal prolapse.Studies comparing native and augmented anterior repairs demonstrate better anatomic outcomes in patients with mesh at the cost of more surgical complications, while different procedures for posterior repair result in similar improvements in symptoms and quality of life. In the management of apical prolapse, vaginal obliterative repair, namely colpocleisis, results in very low risk of recurrence at the cost of the impossibility of having sexual intercourse postoperatively. Reconstructive procedures preserve vaginal length along with the ability to have intercourse, but show higher failure rates over time. They can be divided into vaginal approaches which include sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF) and uterosacral vaginal vault suspension (USVS), and the abdominal approach which primarily includes abdominal sacrocolpopexy (ASC). There is evidence that ASC confers a distinct advantage over vaginal approaches with respect to symptom recurrence, sexual function, and quality of life. Patients who have had radical cystectomy for bladder cancer are at an increased risk of POP, and may benefit from preventative measures and prophylactic repair during surgery. Importantly, the success rates of POP surgery vary depending on whether anatomic or clinical definitions of success are used, with success rates improving when metrics such as the presence of symptoms are incorporated.The surgical management of POP should greatly take into account the postoperative goals of every patient, as different approaches result in different sexual and quality of life outcomes. It is important to consider clinical metrics in the evaluation of success for POP surgery as opposed to using exclusively anatomic criteria. Preoperative counseling is critical in managing expectations and increasing patient satisfaction postoperatively.

We aimed to evaluate the medium-term results of laparoscopic sacropexy (LSP) with validated self-administered questionnaires of symptoms and quality of life and to identify pre-, intra-, and postoperative predictors of postoperative dissatisfaction.The study included 152 women who had LSP for stage 2 or higher pelvic organ prolapse (POP). The study population comprised women who had completed the preoperative symptom questionnaire (including the PFDI-20 and ICIQ-SF). Postoperative questionnaires included those questionnaires as well as the PFIQ-7 and EQ-5D questionnaires, PISQ-12 sexual function questionnaire, and PGI-I questionnaire (to assess patient satisfaction).In all, 92 women (60.5%) responded in the postoperative period; 75 (81.5%) had anterior and posterior mesh and 17 (18.5%) anterior mesh alone. Moreover, 14 women (15.2%) had a concomitant suburethral sling and 18 (19.6%) a concomitant subtotal hysterectomy. The mean follow-up time was 50.5 (± 20.3) months (4.2 years). PFDI-20 scores had improved significantly at 4 years (median: 47.4 before surgery vs. 34.4 afterwards, p = 0.002), and patient satisfaction was quite clear (PGI-I score = 1.8 ± 1.1). Nine women (9.8%) described recurring vaginal bulge symptoms, and 12 patients were reoperated during follow-up. Recurrence [odds ratio (OR) 8.11, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 2.28-28.9] and postoperative constipation (OR = 3.47, 95% CI 1.02-11.8) were strongly associated with poorer postoperative satisfaction, as was concomitant UI surgery (OR = 12.5, 95% CI 2.32-67.0).LSP improved women's symptoms and quality of life. Postoperative constipation, sensation of prolapse recurrence, and concomitant UI surgery were strongly associated with postoperative dissatisfaction.

Although transvaginal mesh (TVM) repair is no longer used in some countries, long-term outcomes after TVM surgery are of great importance globally. However, reports with follow-up >10 years are limited. Thus, this study aimed to report outcomes in a prospective cohort with at least 10 years of follow-up. Women with stage III-IV symptomatic prolapse were approached consecutively from 2008 to 2013 at one tertiary hospital. The main outcome measure was symptomatic failure. Secondary outcomes included anatomic failure, recurrence, patient satisfaction, complications, and reoperation. The Kaplan-Meier curve was used to estimate the cumulative failure rate. Of the 121 patients enrolled in the study, 103 (85.1%) completed a median follow-up of 11 years. The estimated probability rates of symptomatic and anatomic failure were 17.6% and 8.8% in 11 years, respectively. The estimated incidence of symptomatic failure increased by 8.2% between 5 and 11 years; however, the corresponding rate for anatomic failure was 3.7%. The most common complication was vaginal mesh exposure, and its estimated probability increased from 19.3% to 28.4% from 5 to 11 years, respectively. Office trimming resolved 80.0% of vaginal exposures. These patients did not report decreased overall satisfaction. Patients with vaginal mesh exposure requiring>3 office procedures or mesh removal in the operating room (5.8% by 11 years) had lower satisfaction rates (P<0.01) and were defined as having severe mesh exposure. The rates of postoperative pain, reoperation, and Patient Global Impression of Improvement ⩾2 were 2.5%, 3.3%, and 94.2%, respectively. The results of this study implied that TVM treatment gradually increased the symptomatic failure rate but provided durable anatomical support of the vaginal wall. Vaginal mesh exposure was common in women who were largely not sexually active; however, 80% of the cases could be managed in the outpatient clinic, which did not affect patient satisfaction.© 2024. Science China Press.