Biomechanical properties of anterior vaginal wall tissue in post-menopausal women

Cystocele repair in post-menopausal women suffering from urinary incontinence and associated vaginal prolapse is a common method of palliation. In this method, there is surgical reduction of vaginal tissue and the weak cross-sections are often supported with a synthetic sling fashioned from polymer mesh material. Some sling-supported and unsupported repairs fail over the years. The reasons for these failures are unclear, due in part to a lack of fundamental knowledge of the mechanisms associated with cystocele and vaginal prolapse. The aim of this study was to understand the mechanisms of tissue failure by biomechanical and ultrastructural studies. We take advantage of the availability of fresh samples of excised vaginal tissue taken from postmenopausal women undergoing cystocele repair. Control samples were obtained from patient without cystocele and vaginal prolapse. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...