New Options in Reconstructive Pelvic Floor Surgery and Surgery in Urogynecology

Overview

Objective:
The aim of this paper is to provide a brief update review of reconstructive pelvic floor surgery and surgery in urogynecology, including the application of surgical implants.

Design:
Review article.

Settings:
Gynecological and Obstetric Clinic, 1 LF UK and VFN, Prague.

Methods:
Summarization, compilation and classification of recent findings, opinions and recommendations on new options in surgical procedures of reconstructive pelvic floor surgery and surgery in gynecology, with emphasis on the use of implants and their introduction into common clinical practice.

Results:
From the beginning of the 1990s, the view of pelvic floor defects and urinary incontinence in women started to change significantly. The validity of De Lancey’s classification of vaginal fixation into 3 basic levels was confirmed, with resulting modifications in surgical procedures. The etiology of pelvic floor defects comprises not only labor trauma or incorrectly performed previous operations (e.g. hysterectomy), but also hereditary influences and changes in the metabolism of the connective tissue.

When comparing patients with or without descensus, there is a significant difference in the composition of collagen connective tissue; these findings, and the frequency of recurrence in up to 40% of patients within 3 years after the operations, resulted in the introduction of allogenous implants – meshes in the surgical treatment. These have been used for a long time in surgical treatment of abdominal wall defects, and for the above reasons the polypropylene meshes were introduced in pelvic floor defects surgery, while their safety has been proved in accordance with the principles of Evidence Based Medicine. In gynecology, these materials are already used in the laparoscopic approach to treat female stress incontinence. Pelvic floor defects occur either isolated, or combined (a defect of anterior, posterior or medial segment, or combination of all), while the patients may at the same time suffer from a stress type of urinary incontinence (SI). In surgical treatment of this type of urinary incontinence (TVT, TVT-O, TVT-S) allogenous implants - tapes - are frequently used. The results of studies suggest that one factor affecting the success of the operation using allogenous implants is the surgeon’s erudition and experience in pelvic and vaginal surgery, while the long-term effect of the operation also depends on the surgical procedure involved, i.e. on the correct selection of operation methods and decision whether to use an implant or not. The effect of various operations using implants may differ as well, especially there is a difference between operations where the implant is placed freely under the bladder, and those where it is stabilized by fixing the arms of the implant under the lower arms of symphysis. Another factor to consider is the material of the implant used. Material currently recommended according to Evidence Based Medicine is: a lightweight, flexible polypropylene; and according to Amid’s classification: type 1, i.e macro-porous, monofilament material.

The advantage of surgical treatment of pelvic floor defect using implants consists in a low percentage of recurrence of the descensus; there is, however, a certain risk of rejection (around 5%) and shrinking of tissues provoked by the implant.

Key words:
reconstructive pelvic floor surgery, stress urinary incontinence, surgical implant