Demographic and urodynamic factors associated with persistent OAB after anterior compartment prolapse repair

Overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms often accompany pelvic organ prolapse. While there seems to be a relationship between symptom resolution and anatomic repair, a subset of patients will not experience improvement in OAB symptoms. Our aim was to identify preoperative demographic and urodynamic (UD) parameters related to persistence of OAB symptoms after anterior vaginal prolapse (AVP) repair.

This retrospective cohort study examined demographic and UD data from patients undergoing AVP surgery. Pre- and post-operative Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6) scores for frequency, urge urinary incontinence (UUI), and difficulty voiding were analyzed, as were correlations between scores and pre-operative UD data.

From 2002 to 2008, 88 patients underwent AVP repair and were included in the final analysis. Surgery resulted in a reduction of frequency (33%), UUI (49%), and difficulty voiding (74%) at median 21 months follow-up. Change in symptom scores was unrelated to age, parity, BMI, or AVP grade, although older women reported greater improvement in difficulty emptying after repair. Improvement in difficulty emptying was related to a larger pre-operative post-void residual (PVR) (129 ml vs. 31 ml, P = 0.0008). Persistent UUI after repair was significantly related to a higher preoperative P(det)Q(max) (OR 1.056, 95% CI 1.003-1.11, P = 0.04). Other pre-operative UDS variables were not significantly related to the persistence of OAB symptoms.

AVP repair reduces lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS); however, 67% and 51% of patients will report persistent frequency and UUI, respectively, post-operatively. In this cohort, persistent OAB symptoms were not related to age, parity, BMI, or prolapse grade, but rather to pre-operative P(det)Q(max).