Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Paravaginal Repair and Sacrocolpopexy in Patients With Pelvic Organ Prolapse

To evaluate the surgical effects of robotic paravaginal repair and sacrocolpopexy in patients diagnosed with lateral cystocele due to paravaginal defect.

Robotic paravaginal repair and sacrocolpopexy were performed contemporaneously in 43 patients with high-grade pelvic organ prolapse combined with a lateral or mixed cystocele. To objectively evaluate prolapse correction, the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) test was performed at the 12-month visit and the results compared to those of the preoperative period. Subjective satisfaction was scored using the Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I) questionnaire.

POP-Q measurement results before and after surgery, an objective indicator of surgery, the Ba and C scores improved significantly from 2.1 ± 1.2 preoperatively to -2.0 ± 1.1 postoperatively (P <.01), and from 0.3 ± 1.3 preoperatively to -4.3 ± 1.1 postoperatively (P <.01), respectively. In PGI-I questionnaire, the numbers of patients who awarded scores of 1 and 2 (evidencing high-level symptom improvement) were 33 at 1 month (76.7%), 30 at 3 months (69.8%), and 28 (65.1%) at 12 months. When respondents awarding 3 points (a little improvement) were included, the numbers rose to 38 (88.4%) at 1 and 3 months and 35 (81.4%) at 12 months, indicating satisfaction with symptom improvement. There were no critical complications during and after surgery, but complications such as de novo stress urinary incontinence that lower patient satisfaction occurred in some cases.

Robot-assisted paravaginal repair and sacrocolpopexy can be safely performed in patients with cystocele-predominant pelvic organ prolapse and good surgical results can be expected with excellent effects.