Study objective: To evaluate the late suture- related complications of sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF) as a treatment for uterovaginal prolapse and their impact on the quality of life.
Design: A prospective cohort study.
Settings: The Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of Suez Canal University Hospitals, Ismailia, Egypt from January 2014 to June 2018.
Patients: We recruited sixty women with uterovaginal prolapse.
Interventions: Patients underwent SSLF using the Capio suture recapturing device with non-absorbable suture material (0 braided Polyester). Postoperative visits were at six weeks then at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after the procedure.
Measurements and main results: Outcome measures were the rate and timing of suture- related and the quality of life using the pelvic floor impact questionnaire-7 at 24 months postoperatively. The mean age of the studied population was 45.7 ± 9.8 years. Suture- related complications occurred in 55% (33/60) of patients, with vaginal discharge the most commonly reported symptom. Most of them presented in the 1st year after the procedure 72.7% (24/33), and 25% (15/60) had suture removal. However, there was a significant improvement in patients' quality of life.
Conclusion: Sacrospinous ligament fixation has a positive impact on the quality of life, yet associated with significant but prominent suture- related complications.
Keywords: Quality of life; Sacrospinous ligament fixation; Suture- related complications; Uterovaginal prolapse; Vaginal erosion.
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