Initial Experience of Laparoscopic Pectopexy for Apical Prolapse in South Korea

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is the herniation or bulging of the pelvic organs to or beyond the vaginal introitus. POP is a common condition affecting more than half of parous women. We recently performed POP surgery and repair in 37 patients using laparoscopic pectopexy, a new technique for apical prolapse surgery, in women with advanced POP. The surgery was performed by a single surgeon at a single institute. The methods of operation were divided into total laparoscopic hysterectomy with pectopexy, supracervical hysterectomy with pectopexy or pectopexy alone, with additional anterior or posterior colporrhaphy selectively performed. All patients were analyzed in terms of age, body mass index, parity, estimated blood loss (EBL), operation time, intraoperative complications, and postoperative complications. The patients were followed up for at least 6 months after surgery, and the short-term clinical outcomes were analyzed. All operations were performed successfully and without severe intraoperative or postoperative complications. The mean EBL was 84 mL, and the mean operation time was 121 minutes. The operation satisfaction rates were high in most patients. All patients had no recurrence of apical prolapse, de novo urgency, frequency, incontinence, de novo constipation, or ileus. In our experience, laparoscopic pectopexy is a feasible method for apical prolapse repair as it does not have severe intraoperative or postoperative complications and de novo gastrointestinal complications. Considerable follow-up period for possible postoperative events is warranted.