[Laparoscopic sacral colpopexy: an attractive approach for prolapse repair]

Evaluate laparoscopic sacral colpopexy.

76 patients operated by laparoscopy between 1993 and 1999. The mean age of the patients was 59 years. 35 patients suffered from stress incontinence. A history of abdominal surgery was never a contraindication to laparoscopy. Hysterectomy was not systematically performed and the type of correction of urinary incontinence varied between suburethral sling, Burch procedure and TVT. The operating time ranged from 100 to 345 minutes with a mean of 199 minutes. Patients were discharged from hospital between the 2nd and the 10th postoperative day (mean: 4.9 days). Nine out of 10 patients operated (89.40%) were discharged before the 6th postoperative day. The results were satisfactory with correction of prolapse in 74 patients (96%). Only one intraoperative complication occurred in our series: a minimal injury of the colon complicated dissection of the posterior floor during resection of the pouch of Douglas. This wound was sutured during the same operating time. One conversion was required following sudden onset of oxygen desaturation during carbon monoxide insufflation. Laparoscopic prolapse surgery is used increasingly frequently and this study confirms that laparoscopic sacral colpopexy is effective, reliable and reproducible.