Success with sacrospinous suspension of the prolapsed vaginal vault.

Sacrospinous ligament fixation of the prolapsed vaginal vault has proved very useful, but the complications of failure, hemorrhage, infection, nerve damage, incontinence and dyspareunia are reported. Experience with 51 operations performed by staff, and residents with supervision, has shown the value of certain preoperative and technical steps to avoid complications, including candidate selection; repair of enterocele; retropubic positioning of the bladder neck; repair of all pelvic support defects, and perineorrhaphy. Technical modifications are described. Results in these instances are tabulated: no recurrent prolapse; no transfusions; four narrow vaginas; two with stress incontinence; one pelvic cellulitis, and one ventricular fibrillation on the third postoperative day. We believe that most complications are preventable.