Long-term follow-up after colpocleisis: regret, bowel, and bladder function

Area of Science:

• Urogynecology
• Pelvic reconstructive surgery

Background:

• Colpocleisis is an underutilized surgical option for pelvic organ prolapse.
• Concerns regarding patient regret and long-term outcomes may limit its adoption.
• This study evaluates long-term outcomes of colpocleisis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the regret rate among women who underwent colpocleisis.
• To evaluate the impact of colpocleisis on quality of life (QOL).
• To determine the effect of colpocleisis on bladder and bowel function.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal study of patients who had colpocleisis at least 2 years prior.
• Participants completed validated questionnaires: Prolapse QOL (P-QOL), International Consultation on Incontinence-Urinary Incontinence (ICIQ-UI), and Colorectal Anal Distress Inventory (CRADI).
• Direct questions assessed surgical regret and willingness to recommend the procedure.

Main Results:

• Twenty-three women responded (67% follow-up rate).
• Only one woman (4.3%) regretted the surgery due to failure.
• High recommendation rates (91.3%) and low P-QOL, ICIQ-UI, and CRADI scores indicated positive QOL, bladder, and bowel function outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Colpocleisis demonstrates a good safety and efficacy profile in this cohort.
• The procedure is associated with a low regret rate and significant QOL improvement.
• Colpocleisis has minimal negative impact on bladder and bowel function at 2-5 years post-surgery.