Evaluating the porcine dermis graft InteXen® in three-compartment transvaginal pelvic organ prolapse repair

Introduction and hypothesis

The aim was to assess the efficacy of three-compartment pelvic organ prolapse (POP) vaginal repair using the InteXen® biocompatible porcine dermal graft as compared to traditional colporrhaphy with sacrospinous ligament suspension.

Methods

Preoperative, operative, postoperative and follow-up data were collected retrospectively. Objective recurrence was defined as POP quantification ≥ stage II and subjective recurrence as a symptomatic bulge.

Results

Each group consisted of 63 patients. Surgery time was longer using InteXen® (72?±?24.5 vs 55?±?23.5 min, p?=?0.0002). Length of hospital stay (4.6?±?1.6 vs 4.9?±?2.1 days, p?=?0.34) as well as duration of follow-up (37.1 vs 35.7 months, p?=?0.45) were equivalent between the two groups. No case of mesh erosion or infection was noted. The objective (17% vs 8%, p?=?0.12) and subjective recurrence rates (13% vs 5%, p?=?0.12) between the two groups were not statistically different.

Conclusions

InteXen® was well tolerated but had similar efficacy to traditional colporrhaphy and sacrospinous ligament suspension.     

Trocarless system for mesh attachment in pelvic organ prolapse repair��1-year evaluation

Introduction and hypothesis  

EndoFast Reliant™ system is a novel technology for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) repair that attaches mesh directly with metal fasteners.     

Transvaginal mesh surgery for pelvic organ prolapse��Prolift+M: a prospective clinical trial

Introduction and hypothesis  

This study deals with assessment of safety, efficacy, and potential complications of Prolift+M system to correct uterovaginal prolapse.     

Elastin density: Link between histological and biomechanical properties of vaginal tissue in women with pelvic organ prolapse?

Introduction and hypothesis

The aim of the study was to correlate histological and biomechanical characteristics of the vaginal wall in women with pelvic organ prolapse (POP).

Methods

Tissue samples were collected from the anterior [point Ba; POP Questionnaire (POP-Q)] and/or posterior (point Bp; POP-Q) vaginal wall of 15 women who underwent vaginal surgery for POP. Both histological and biomechanical assessments were performed from the same tissue samples in 14 of 15 patients. For histological assessment, the density of collagen and elastin fibers was determined by combining high-resolution virtual imaging and computer-assisted digital image analysis. For biomechanical testing, uniaxial tension tests were performed to evaluate vaginal tissue stiffness at low (C₀) and high (C₁) deformation rates.

Results

Biomechanical testing highlights the hyperelastic behavior of the vaginal wall. At low strains (C₀), vaginal tissue appeared stiffer when elastin density was low. We found a statistically significant inverse relationship between C₀ and the elastin/collagen ratio (p?=?0.048) in the lamina propria. However, at large strain levels (C₁), no clear relationship was observed between elastin density or elastin/collagen ratio and stiffness, likely reflecting the large dispersion of the mechanical behavior of the tissue samples.

Conclusion

Histological and biomechanical properties of the vaginal wall vary from patient to patient. This study suggests that elastin density deserves consideration as a relevant factor of vaginal stiffness in women with POP.

     

Use of the Gynecare Prolift? system in surgery for pelvic organ prolapse: 1-year outcome

Introduction and hypothesis  

This retrospective study reports the 1-year outcome in women who underwent mesh-augmented Prolift? surgery performed from 2006 to 2008. There were a total of 254 patients, with 128, 106 and 20 patients receiving total, anterior and posterior Prolift?, respectively.     

Vaginal mesh repair: is it appropriate for pelvic organ prolapse in a nulliparous female following pelvic ring fracture?

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in a nulliparous woman is a rare sequela of high-energy pelvic trauma. We report a case of a 26-year-old nulliparous woman who developed stage III pelvic organ prolapse two decades after pelvic ring disruption. Abdominal wall cervicopexy was performed as a primary procedure by her attending local gynecologist. Recurrence occurred in early postoperative period following which she was referred to our institute. Examination revealed 5-cm pubic symphysis widening and stage III pelvic organ prolapse with deficient perineal body. Widened levator hiatus with atrophic pelvic floor muscles were confirmed on MRI. The patient was successfully managed by sacrospinous hysteropexy using predesigned vaginal mesh kit along with anterior colporrhaphy and colpoperineorrhaphy. Mesh exposure detected at the 6th year of follow-up required partial excision of the exposed mesh.     

Prospective study of anterior transobturator mesh kit (Prolift?) for the management of recurrent anterior vaginal wall prolapse

Introduction and hypothesis  

Assessment of the 2-year outcome of anterior Prolift™ for women with recurrent anterior vaginal wall prolapse. This is a prospective study which was conducted in a tertiary unit in the North West of England and comprised 36 consecutive women with recurrent anterior vaginal wall prolapse.     

Urodynamic indices and pelvic organ prolapse quantification 3?months after vaginal delivery in primiparous women

Introduction and hypothesis

This study aims to describe multichannel urodynamic indices and pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP-Q) in primiparous women 3?months after vaginal delivery.

Methods

This was a secondary analysis of a group of women who had been randomized to either coached or non-coached pushing during the second stage of labor. Primiparous women were evaluated with POP-Q examination and multichannel urodynamic testing 3?months after vaginal delivery.

Results

Of 128 women evaluated, the cumulative stage of prolapse was distributed as 4.7% stage 0, 39% stage I, 56% stage II, and none with stage III prolapse or greater. For the anterior compartment, most had stage II prolapse. Stage I prolapse predominated for both the central and posterior compartments. Of the women, 14.1% had urodynamic stress incontinence, 12.5% had detrusor overactivity, and 6% had both.

Conclusions

In a predominantly Hispanic primiparous population, ICS POP-Q stage II prolapse of the vagina, urodynamic stress incontinence, and detrusor overactivity are common findings at a 3-month postpartum assessment.     

Comparing different tissue-engineered repair materials for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence: which material is better?

Introduction and hypothesis

Synthetic non-absorbable meshes are widely used to augment surgical repair of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI), but these meshes are associated with serious complications. This study compares the attachment and extracellular matrix (ECM) production of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) on different biodegradable nanomaterials to develop tissue engineered repair materials.

Methods

Rat ADSCs were isolated and cultured on electrospun poly-L-lactic acid (PLA) and electrospun poly(L-lactide)-trimethylene carbonate-gycolide (PLTG) terpolymers for 1 and 2 weeks. Samples were tested for cell proliferation (cell counting kit-8), microstructure, and morphology (scanning electron microscopy), production of ECM components (immunostaining for collagen I, collagen III, and elastin) and biomechanical properties (uniaxial tensile methods).

Results

The ADSCs showed good attachment and proliferation on both PLA and PLTG scaffolds. The production of collagen I and collagen III on both scaffolds was greater at 14 days than at 7 days and was greater on PLTG scaffolds than on PLA scaffolds, but these differences were not significant. The addition of ADSCs onto scaffolds led to a significant increase in the biomechanical properties of both PLA and PLTG scaffolds compared with unseeded scaffolds.

Conclusion

These data support the use of both PLA and PLTG as tissue-engineered repair materials for POP or SUI.