Complications Following Posterior Colporrhaphy With and Without Anal Sphincteroplasty: An Analysis of Cases in the...

We aimed to compare postoperative complications for patients undergoing posterior colporrhaphy with or without sphincteroplasty.

A retrospective cohort of women undergoing posterior colporrhaphy with or without anal sphincteroplasty was completed using the National Surgery Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database (2012-2019). The primary outcome was a composite of important surgical complications, including wound complications, blood transfusion, hospital stay >48 hours, reoperation, readmission, and urinary tract infection. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for important potential confounders, including age, BMI, diabetes, and anterior prolapse surgery.

A total of 5079 patients were included. Of these, 82 patients underwent a concurrent sphincteroplasty. The primary composite outcome occurred in 10.4% of patients having posterior colporrhaphy versus 19.5% having posterior colporrhaphy with sphincteroplasty. On multivariable analysis there was no increased odds of complication associated with concomitant anal sphincteroplasty (1.58, 95% CI 0.89-2.90, P = 0.12).

Nearly one in five women who have posterior colporrhaphy with anal sphincteroplasty had an important surgical complication. Higher complication rates may be related to patient factors, as this was not observed after adjustment for patient factors and additional surgical procedures. Sphincteroplasty may be considered with posterior colporrhaphy in select women.