Prolapse Quality-of-life Questionnaire is a Reliable Postoperative Outcome Assessment

The prolapse quality-of-life (P-QOL) questionnaire is frequently used to assess changes in symptoms before and after surgery in patients with pelvic organ prolapse (POP). This study investigated whether P-QOL scores were significantly affected by pre- and postoperative conditions in patients with surgically treated POP.

The study enrolled 158 patients who underwent surgery for POP at our hospital between May 2016 and May 2023. Seventy-two patients underwent laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (LSC), whereas 86 underwent transvaginal mesh (TVM) surgery. To evaluate the POP-related conditions, the 60-min pad test and the Japanese version of P-QOL were used before surgery and 6 and 12 months after surgery.

In patients with stage 4 POP, all P-QOL component scores, except for sleep/energy, significantly declined after surgery in the LSC group. Conversely, some component scores did not show a significant difference after the surgery in the TVM group. No significant differences in the rate of urinary incontinence, mesh exposure, or prolapse recurrence (PR) were observed between the two groups; however, the rate of PR was much higher in the TVM group than in the LSC group, although no significant differences were found in patients with stage 4 POP. Accordingly, some P-QOL component scores were significantly higher in the TVM group than in the LSC group (all P < 0.05).

The surgical outcomes of POP have a significant effect on P-QOL. Postoperative conditions can be evaluated using P-QOL scores.