[Lower urinary tract dysfunction following radical hysterectomy]

Radical hysterectomy is associated with a significant amount of urinary functional complications and a negative impact on quality of life. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the neurological etiology of lower urinary tract dysfunction following radical hysterectomy and to establish an optimal postoperative management strategy.

We performed a comprehensive overview using the following terms: "radical hysterectomy" and "urologic diseases etiology" or "urologic disease prevention and control".

The reported incidence of lower urinary tract dysfunction after radical hysterectomy varies from 12 to 85%. Several animal and clinical urodynamic studies corroborate the neurologic etiology of the dysfunction. Lower urinary tract dysfunction is a common postoperative finding (70-85%) but spontaneous recovery is to be expected within 6-12 months after surgery. The most frequent long term sequela is stress urinary incontinence (40% of cases) and its management is complex and challenging. Postoperative refractory overactive bladder and bladder underactivity can be treated by neuromodulation of sacral roots and superior hypogastric plexus, respectively. In the absence of good clinical predictors, preoperative urodynamic examinations could have a role in understanding the pathophysiology of the dysfunction before such interventions.

The pathophysiology of lower urinary tract dysfunction following radical hysterectomy is multifactorial. Its management is complex and should be multidisciplinary.