Minimally invasive cystocele repair technique using a polypropylene mesh introduced with the transobturator route.

PURPOSE: Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of the use of polypropylene mesh for cystocele repair using minimally invasive technique.

METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated the perioperative events, short-term postoperative side-effects, and follow up for 152 patients who underwent repair for cystocele grade 2 or more using a polypropylene mesh. The repair was performed through a small anterior vaginal wall incision, with the arms of the mesh passed through a transobturator route using a corkscrew needle. Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) tests and the International Continence Society Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) staging systems were documented before and after surgery.

RESULTS

The average time and blood loss for the procedure were 18 min and 100 cc, respectively. Bladder injury and excess bleeding (>500 cc) occurred in one and two cases during the procedure, respectively. The early postoperative complications included pain (10.5 %), mesh erosion (1.3 %), fever (1.3 %), and urinary tract infection (7.9 %). Among the 122 patients who were followed up (median follow-up time, 18.2 months), the subjective and objective cure rates for the prolapse were 98 and 95 %, respectively. Complications during the follow up included mesh erosion (four cases) and persistent dyspareunia (four cases).

CONCLUSIONS

Cystocele repair with mesh placement through transobturator route can be considered a minimally invasive, promising method for the correction of cystocele and SUI based on the low rate of complications, the high rate of success, and the low incidence of recurrence.