Why complex pelvic organ prolapse should be approached abdominally

This review summarizes the recent clinical trials that address the abdominal approach for treatment of uterine or vaginal vault prolapse following hysterectomy.

Open abdominal sacrocolpopexy (ASC) has improved anatomic and sexual functioning outcomes compared with the sacrospinous ligament suspension but this benefit comes with higher costs. Newer studies suggest that minimally invasive approaches to ASC that result in 1 day of hospitalization can be cost-effective. Although most studies demonstrate higher costs when using the robot during laparoscopic surgery, the costs of initial purchase and maintenance become insignificant when a single robot is used at least twice a day (500 procedures annually). Minimally invasive sacrocolpopexy appears to result in less small bowel obstruction and ileus however, intraoperative bowel injury rates are similar. During sacrocolpopexy, placing the sacral suture at the promontory may put the L5-S1 intervetebral disc at risk, while placing the suture 5 mm below the promontory would ensure the suture is at the level of S1 vertebrae. Lastly, the use of cadaveric fascia lata as an alternative to polypropylene mesh for sacrocolpopexy in patients who were followed for 5 years, results in decreased anatomic outcomes, similar subjective outcomes and surprisingly, similar mesh erosion rates.

One of the significant benefits of sacrocolpopexy is that it is not a procedure that has been developed for profit. As a result, the procedure has evolved based on modifications suggested by surgeons with no financial gain. Minimally invasive approaches to ASC allow for the benefits of ASC with significant reductions in patient hospitalization.