Laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy in the treatment of vaginal vault prolapse: 8 years experience.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term results of a laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy for the treatment of vaginal vault prolapse.

STUDY DESIGN: Between January 1999 and January 2007, 165 laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy procedures, using a polypropylene mesh, were performed on women affected by vaginal vault prolapse. Intraoperative complications included: 5 bladder injuries and 3 sigmoid perforations. Postoperative complications included: 10 cases of fever, 5 cases of lumbosciatica, 15 cases of detrusor overactivity, 2 cases of vaginal haematoma, and 5 cases of minimal dispareunia. At 1, 6 and 12 months after surgery, a clinical evaluation was carried out for all patients. After this period, we contacted the women annually.

RESULTS: We treated 165 women, with an average age of 67 (range 58-76 years; S.D. 19.22), average parity of 3 (range 2-5), and average body mass index of 28 (range 24-30). In many of them, more than one additional procedure was performed. At a median follow-up of 43 months (range 6-96 months), out of a total of 138 patients (27 were lost at follow-up), we obtained successful treatment in 131 women (success rate of 94.9%), with a high rate of satisfaction from the procedure. Recurrent vaginal vault prolapse was registered in seven women (5.07%): in 3, the vaginal vault collapsed after a period ranging from 7 to 20 days, caused by the use of a Vyprol mesh (hence use of same was suspended), and in a further three women the mesh detached after less than 1 month. Finally, in one case, we reported an erosion between the first and the second follow-up and the mesh was visualized in the vagina.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy, in the hands of an expert surgeon, can be considered a safe, effective procedure for the treatment of vaginal vault prolapse, allowing long-term anatomical restoration (94.9% success rate).