Pelvic Floor Function Before and After Robotic Sacrocolpopexy: One-Year Outcomes

Study objective: Estimate pelvic floor function and support 1 year after robotic sacrocolpopexy. Design: Prospective cohort analysis of women undergoing robotic sacrocolpopexy for correction of advanced pelvic organ prolapse (Canadian Task Force Classification III). Primary outcome was pelvic floor function. Secondary outcomes included anatomic support and long-term surgical failures and complications. Setting: One university hospital in the southeastern United States. Patients: Primarily postmenopausal women (mean age 60) with advanced pelvic organ prolapse. Interventions: All subjects underwent robotic sacrocolpopexy during the study period. Subjects then underwent 1-year postoperative assessment of pelvic floor function via validated condition-specific quality of life questionnaires and assessment of pelvic floor support, long-term surgical failures, and complications via physical examination. Measurements and main results: From November 2007 to April 2009, there were 28 subjects, 25 of whom (89.3%) were evaluated. Mean time since surgery was 14.8 months. Pelvic floor function remained significantly improved over preoperative baseline: PFDI-20 (117 vs 38, p < .001), PFIQ-7 (60 vs 10, p = .001), with stable high sexual function: PISQ-12 (34 vs. 36, p = .17), and improved pelvic support on POP-Q: Ba (+3 vs 2, p = .001), Bp (+0.5 vs 1, p = .092), C (+2.25 vs 8, p = .001). Anatomic cure for vault prolapse was 100% at 1 year. There were two mesh exposures and two subsequent prolapse surgeries. Conclusion: Robotic sacrocolpopexy demonstrates durable improvement in pelvic floor function and support, with high sexual function and reasonable failure and complication rates 1 year after surgery. Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology (2011) 18, 322-327 (c) 2011 AAGL. All rights reserved.