Primary treatment of pelvic organ prolapse: pessary use versus prolapse surgery

Anne-Lotte W. M. Coolen*, Stephanie Troost, Ben Willem J. Mol, Jan-Paul W. R. Roovers, Marlies Y. Bongers

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The objective of this study was to compare the functional outcomes after pessary treatment and after prolapse surgery as primary treatments for pelvic organ prolapse (POP).

METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study performed in a Dutch teaching hospital in women with symptomatic POP of stage II or higher requiring treatment. Patients were treated according to their preference with a pessary or prolapse surgery. The primary endpoint was disease-specific quality of life at 12 months follow-up according to the prolapse domain of the Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI) questionnaire. Secondary outcomes included adverse events and additional interventions. To show a difference of ten points in the primary outcome, we needed to randomize 80 women (power 80%, α 0.05, taking 10% attrition into account).

RESULTS: We included 113 women (74 in the pessary group, 39 in the surgery group). After 12 months, the median prolapse domain score was 0 (10th to 90th percentile 0-33) in the pessary group and 0 (10th to 90th percentile 0-0) in the surgery group (p < 0.01). Differences in other domain scores were not statistically significant. In the pessary group, 28% (21/74) of the women had a surgical intervention versus 3% (1/39) reoperations in the surgery group (p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: In women with POP of stage II or higher undergoing surgery, prolapse symptoms were less severe than in those who were treated with a pessary, but 72% of women who were treated with a pessary did not opt for surgery.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Dutch trial register NTR2856.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)99-107
Number of pages9
JournalInternational Urogynecology Journal
Volume29
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2018

Keywords

  • Pelvic organ prolapse
  • Pessary
  • Prolapse surgery
  • QUALITY-OF-LIFE
  • RANDOMIZED-CONTROLLED-TRIAL
  • VAGINAL PESSARIES
  • INCONTINENCE
  • SYMPTOMS
  • SATISFACTION
  • DYSFUNCTION
  • WOMEN
  • Pelvic Organ Prolapse/classification
  • Prospective Studies
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Gynecologic Surgical Procedures/adverse effects
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Patient Preference
  • Patient Satisfaction
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Quality of Life
  • Female
  • Aged
  • Pessaries/adverse effects

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