Coexisting overactive-underactive bladder and detrusor overactivity-underactivity in pelvic organ prolapse

Objective The coexisting overactive-underactive bladder (COUB) syndrome could be related to the increased urethral resistance caused by severe pelvic organ prolapse (POP). We aimed to evaluate the clinical and urodynamic findings of patients with COUB and/or detrusor overactivity-underactivity (DOU) in a cohort of patients scheduled for POP surgery and the possible risk factors of COUB after surgery. Methods This retrospective study analyzed all patients who underwent POP repair between 2008 and 2013, excluding women with a history of pelvic floor surgery. Patients were divided into COUB and non-COUB according to baseline symptoms and into DOU and non-DOU based on urodynamic findings. A multivariate model was performed to identify risk factors for COUB symptoms after surgery. Results A total of 533 women underwent POP surgery. Preoperatively, patients with COUB had more severe anterior compartment prolapse (Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification staging system Aa point, P = 0.008) and more frequently had overactive bladder compared with controls (P = 0.023). The rate of COUB decreased significantly after surgery. Preoperative opening detrusor pressure resulted as the only independent predictor of postoperative COUB symptoms (P = 0.034). Conclusion POP is a valid pathogenetic model for COUB development. POP repair induced a significant decrease in COUB symptoms with low opening detrusor pressure resulting as the only independent predictor of postoperative COUB.