Fibroid Surgery and Long-Term Improvement in Bladder Symptoms

Area of Science:

• Urogynecology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Women's Health

Background:

• Urinary symptoms are common in women with uterine fibroids.
• Short-term improvements in urinary symptoms after fibroid debulking are documented.
• Long-term outcomes of fibroid debulking on urinary function remain understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the long-term impact of fibroid debulking surgery on urinary symptoms.
• To evaluate changes in urinary distress inventory scores several years after surgery.

Main Methods:

• A prospective case series of women undergoing fibroid debulking surgery.
• Utilized the Urinary Distress Inventory (UDI) for symptom assessment preoperatively and 2-7 years postoperatively.
• Analyzed changes in total, obstructive, irritative, and stress subscale UDI scores.

Main Results:

• Significant long-term improvements (2-7 years) were observed in total UDI scores, as well as obstructive and irritative subscale scores (P < 0.001).
• Stress subscale scores did not show significant improvement (P = 0.101).
• 75% of women with urge incontinence and 37.5% with stress incontinence reported cure of bothersome symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Fibroid debulking surgery offers sustained relief for most urinary symptoms, excluding stress-related issues.
• Women experiencing bothersome urinary symptoms warrant investigation for fibroids.
• Surgical fibroid removal should be considered for long-term management of urinary dysfunction.