Impact of Age and Body Mass Index on the Outcomes of Laparoscopic Mesh Sacrocolpopexy

Background: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a benign condition that can adversely affect women's quality of life. Mesh sacrocolpopexy is an effective surgical treatment for POP, but is considered a complex and risky surgery for obese and elderly women. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of age and obesity on the outcomes of minimally invasive sacrocolpopexy. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study reviewing all minimally invasive sacrocolpopexy cases performed between 2003 and 2021. Data on operative time, hospital stay, conversion rate, perioperative injuries, early and late postoperative complications were collected. Surgical success was evaluated by gynecological examination at each follow-up visit. Results: One hundred seventy subjects were included, of whom 44% were older than 65 years and 58% had a body mass index (BMI) above 25 kg/m². Seventy percent presented stage III uterovaginal prolapse. All patients achieved a good subjective outcome with no reported prolapse with a mean follow-up of 6 years. The rate of de novo stress urinary incontinence was 3.2%. Vaginal implant exposure was found in 4% of cases. A bivariate analysis studying the impact of older age (≥ 65 vs. < 65 years) and higher BMI (≥ 25 vs. < 25) on surgical and postoperative outcomes did not show any significant differences between the subgroups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: In experienced hands, laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy can be used as a safe and effective procedure for operable patients with POP, even when patients are between 65 and 80 years or have a BMI of 25 kg/m² and above.