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Updated: Oct 25, 2025
Author Spotlight: Advancing Pelvic Prolapse Treatment with a Non-Mesh Approach using Laparoscopic Pectopexy
Published on: October 25, 2024
Improvement in dyspareunia after vaginal mesh removal measured by a validated questionnaire
T Grisales1, A L Ackerman2, L J Rogo-Gupta3
1Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 200 Medical Plaza, Suite 140, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA. TGrisales@mednet.ucla.edu.
Introduction And Hypothesis:
The objective was to examine the effect of the surgical removal of vaginally placed prolapse and incontinence mesh on sexual function. We hypothesize that patients with painful complications of mesh will experience improvement in dyspareunia and sexual function after mesh removal.
Methods:
The eligible cohort consisted of 133 women who presented with a new onset of pain attributed to mesh-augmented incontinence or prolapse surgery and who elected to undergo mesh removal between 1 August 2012 and 1 July 2013. Sexual function symptoms were assessed before and after mesh removal surgery using the Pelvic Organ Prolapse and Urinary Incontinence Sexual Function Questionnaire short form (PISQ-12). Multivariate analysis was performed to identify predictors of improvement in dyspareunia.
Results:
Ninety-four patients undergoing mesh removal completed a pre-operative questionnaire, 63 of whom also completed a post-operative questionnaire. After mesh removal, there was a nearly 50% reduction in the proportion of women reporting always experiencing post-operative pain with intercourse among those experiencing pre-operative pain. There was a statistically significant quantitative improvement in pain with intercourse after mesh removal based on mean change score of PISQ-12 question 5 "How often do you experience pain with intercourse?". In multivariate analysis, only history of vaginal delivery was associated with symptom improvement.
Conclusion:
Removal of transvaginal prolapse mesh is associated with improvement in self-reported dyspareunia based on a standardized question on a validated instrument in a small cohort of women. Although larger studies are needed to confirm the relationship between mesh-augmented surgeries and post-procedural dyspareunia, these data suggest that consideration of mesh removal is a reasonable step for patients with painful intercourse attributed to mesh-augmented prolapse and incontinence surgeries.
