Risk Factors For The Recurrence Of Pelvic Organ Prolapse After Surgical Repair

Background and Objectives: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is common in women, and it disrupts their quality of life. Surgical repair is the first choice of treatment for this disorder, but relapse of POP still remains a problem. The present study aimed to investigate the risk factors for the recurrence of POP in patients who underwent surgical repair.Methods: Medical records of 74 patients with POP who underwent surgical repair during December 1995 to June 2005 in the Chinese PLA General Hospital were reviewed. All these patients were followed up by telephone interview, questionnaire survey, pelvic examination and ultrasound examination. The patients were divided into recurrent group and non-recurrent group. Clinical characteristics, operative and post-operative factors were compared between the two groups.Results: Of the 74 patients, recurrent prolapse was found in 11 (15%) patients, with uterus prolapse in 3 patients, anterior vaginal wall prolapse in 7 patients, and posterior vaginal wall prolapse in 2 patients. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in age, times of gestation, age of first parity, age at first delivery, menopausal age, delivery ways, delivery procedure, the rate of perineum rupture, approach for hysterectomy and the rate of perineum repair (all P>0.05). Compared with patients in the non-recurrent group, patients in the recurrent group showed less times of delivery (3.159±1.807vsl.818±0.874, P<0.05), younger age at menarche (15.000±1.685vs 14.000±1.183, P<0.05), younger age at the last delivery (32.333±5.209vs 29.091±3.145, P<0.05), short times of visit after surgical repair(79.143±37.283 vs42.000±18.149, P<0.05 ), more common of chronic post- operative constipation(4.76% vs 95.24 %), more common of repeat unwell symptom of urinary ( 33.33%vs81.82% )( P 均<0 05) and Comparedwith patients in the recurrent group, patients in the non-recurrent group of Stress urinary incontinence showed difference is 5 (45.5%) and 16 (25.4%), longer history of leakage of urine( 7.429±32.621vs36.000±73.338, P<0.05). Conclusions: Recurrent prolapse is relatively common in patients who underwent surgical repair for POP. times of delivery, age at menarche, age at the last delivery, chronic post-operative constipation, repeat unwell symptom of urinary, times of visit after surgical repair and long history of leakage of urine might be risk factors for these patients.