Posthysterectomy rectal and vaginal prolapse, a commonly overlooked problem

The existence of combined rectal and vaginal prolapse is more common than the literature would suggest. This paper outlines a further development in the operative management which has been applied to 24 patients with this problem. All had had a hysterectomy and most had had in addition one or more vaginal repairs. The common mode of presentation was one of pelvic pain (19 patients), sometimes severe, crippling and intractable and some form of protrusion (14 patients), difficult or unsatisfied defaecation and rectal incontinence (9 patients). The vaginal prolapse which always involved the vault and usually involved the lower vagina was usually found to be incomplete and the rectal prolapse complete (but occult). The operative procedure essentially consists of a Wells type rectopexy which has a new modification in which the sling is extended to anchor the vaginal vault after correction of the enterocele by the abdominal approach. A vaginal repair is subsequently performed at the same operation where anterior or posterior vaginal prolapse persists. Important points in the procedure are the avoidance of sepsis (the vaginal vault is not opened during the procedure) and protection of the ureters by careful assessment of the lateral margins of the vaginal vault which is illuminated by transvaginal vault endoscopy. At this early stage operative morbidity has been minimal, relief of the pelvic symptoms has been most encouraging, but the length of follow-up is short (range 6-30 months, average 15.6) and long-term evaluation will be necessary as with all surgery for prolapse.