The effect of age on short-term outcomes after abdominal surgery for pelvic organ prolapse

To compare perioperative morbidity and 1-year outcomes of older and younger women undergoing surgery for pelvic organ prolapse (POP).

Prospective ancillary analysis.

Academic medical centers in National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Colpopexy and Urinary Reduction Study.

Women with POP and no symptoms of stress incontinence.

Abdominal sacrocolpopexy with randomization to receive Burch colposuspension for treatment of possible occult incontinence or not.

Perioperative complications and Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification and quality-of-life (QOL) questionnaires (Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory, Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire, and Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and 6 weeks and 3 and 12 months postoperatively).

Three hundred twenty-two women aged 31 to 82 (21% aged > or =70), 93% white. Older women had higher baseline comorbidity (P<.001) and more severe POP (P=.003). Controlling for prolapse stage and whether Burch was performed, there were no age differences in complication rates. Older women had longer hospital stays (3.1+/-1.0 vs 2.7+/-1.5 days, P=.02) and higher prevalence of incontinence at 6 weeks (54.7% vs 37.2%, P=.005). At 3 and 12 months, there were no differences in self-reported incontinence, stress testing for incontinence, or prolapse stage. Improvements from baseline were significant on all QOL measures but with no age differences.

Outcomes of prolapse surgery were comparable between older and younger women except that older women had slightly longer hospital stays.