Bowel Obstruction After Sacrocolpopexy: A Case Series

Area of Science:

• Urogynecology
• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Complications

Background:

• Sacrocolpopexy (SC) is a surgical procedure for pelvic organ prolapse.
• Bowel obstruction is a potential, though uncommon, complication of SC.
• Understanding factors and outcomes related to bowel obstruction post-SC is crucial for patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify clinical and surgical factors associated with bowel obstruction after SC.
• To describe the presentation, management strategies, and sequelae of bowel obstruction post-SC.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case series analysis of 3,231 patients undergoing SC.
• Data collected from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2019.
• Inclusion of open, laparoscopic, and robotic SC procedures.

Main Results:

• A 1.0% incidence of bowel obstruction (32/3,231 patients) was observed after SC.
• Mean time to obstruction was 1.9 years post-SC, with a wide range.
• Non-surgical management was effective in 61.3% of cases; surgical management involved bowel resection or mesh excision in some instances.

Conclusions:

• Bowel obstruction is a rare complication of SC with a reported incidence of at least 1.0%.
• Non-surgical management is effective for most cases of post-SC bowel obstruction, with low recurrence rates.
• Data can inform patient counseling, surgical planning, and diagnosis/management of bowel obstruction after SC.