Modified laparoscopic high uterosacral ligament suspension for treatment of apical prolapse: A feasibility study

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of modified laparoscopic high uterosacral ligament suspension (LHUS) in women with apical prolapse who require uterine preservation.

This retrospective feasibility study analyzed the demographic characteristics, procedure, and 3-year follow-up data of 23 women who underwent modified LHUS at our institution. Outcome measures included clinical and anatomical cure. Patient satisfaction was measured by the Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I). The improvement on quality of life was evaluated by pelvic floor distress inventory-short form 20 (PFDI-20).

The operation time was 50 ± 17 min, the blood loss was 100 ml (50-300 ml), and the postoperative hospital stay was 3.5 days (3-6 days). At a median follow-up time of 4.3 years (3-6 years), the clinical cure rate was 91.6% and the anatomical cure rate was 87.0%. The values of Aa, Ba, C, and D points were significantly higher than those observed before operation (p < 0.05). According to PGI-I, 20 patients were satisfied, and the overall subjective satisfaction rate was 87%. The scores of PFDI-20 after operation were significantly lower than those recorded before operation (p < 0.05).

Modified LHUS has the advantages of short operation time, fast postoperative recovery, low 3-year recurrence rate, and high patient satisfaction in women with apical prolapse who require uterine preservation, which is worthy of clinical promotion.