Pelvic Surgery Failure Increases with Time

Surgery to repair pelvic organ prolapse fails over time for many women, a new study concludes. Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when the tissues that support the uterus, bladder and cervix are damaged or relax over time. The organs may push down into the top of the vagina. This can cause pain, bleeding and urinary problems. The study included 215 women. All had an operation called sacrocolpopexy to support the organs with a synthetic material called surgical mesh. Half also had another procedure to stop problems with urine leakage. The rate of failure increased each year in both groups. For example, symptoms returned within 2 years for 14% of the women who had both procedures. The return of symptoms occurred in 21% after 4 years and 29% after 7 years. Treatment failures were slightly lower for those who had the single procedure.