Abstract:
Background: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is one of the sub-component of pelvic floor
dysfunction (PFD) which is a major health issue affecting approximately 50% of parous women
over 50 years of age, 20% of adult women, with a lifetime prevalence risk of 30 –50% and the
risk increases as age advances. POP is the descent of one or more of the pelvic organs due to the
weakness of supportive structures and resulting in a herniation into the vaginal cannel. It is
primarily a common gynecological condition that also considered as a medical, mental and social
problem, deeply rooted with poor health services and socio-cultural beliefs affecting women of
both child bearing age and post-menopausal age. Worldwide, POP occurs in about 316 million
women (9.3% of all females) and estimated to be diagnosed among one in four women. Despite,
sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF) is one of the most frequently practiced and an appropriate
surgical interventions for POP patients to maintain normal vaginal length and pelvic floor repair,
some complications are still inevitable postoperatively which needs to be explored and managed
accordingly.
Objective: The present study aimed to assess possible complications and the recurrence of
vaginal vault prolapse, and associated factors after surgical interventions of SSLF among POP
patients in Jimma medical center and Shenen Gibe hospital.
Materials and methods: Institutional based prospective cohort study design was employed
among 55 POP patients for whom surgical intervention (SSLF) was done in 2018 and 2019 to
assess possible short term and long term complications including recurrence rate after follow-up
for 12 months. A structured questionnaire was used to collect patient profiles that obtained by
history, physical examination and laboratory investigations. Complication/s of surgery was
assessed by objective POP quantitation system (POP-Q) and a subjective satisfaction rate was
assessed by a validated pelvic quality of life questionnaire (P-QoL/D) at different end points
during the follow-up process. A successful surgical outcome was considered when women had
―optimal‖ or ―satisfactory‖ (POP-Q stage 0 or 1 and subjectively respond better than before
surgery). The data was entered in to Epidata version 4.3.1 and finally exported to SPSS version
22 for further analysis. Descriptive and analytical statistical analysis was applied to express the
finding and was reported by using tables, figures and narrations. A p-value of <0.05 was declared
as statistically significant.
