title: Long-term success of abdominal sacral colpopexy using synthetic mesh.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim was to determine the minimum meaningful study period required for prospective trials involving sacral colpopexy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective analysis of 245 patients who underwent sacral colpopexy. Postoperative pelvic organ prolapse quantitation was our objective end point. In an effort to control for selection bias, patients who returned for postoperative examinations were compared with those who did not for clinical and demographic information. A validated prolapse-specific quality of life instrument was used to determine the subjective end points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Objective failure (any postoperative POP-Q point > or = stage II) was found in 37 (15.1%) patients. Of these, 26 (70.3%) occurred within 6 months, and 30 (81.1%) occurred within 1 year. Another 5 objective failures were discovered between 1 and 2 years after surgery for a total of 94.6% of failures occurring within 2 years. There were no clinically significant differences between the groups of women with and without objective postoperative follow-up, indicating minimal selection bias.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is reasonable to construct randomized controlled trials involving sacral colpopexy that only include 1- or 2-year follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Division of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Women's Health, University of Louisville Health Sciences Center, Ky, USA. pculligan@louisville.edu
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Culligan
authors.forename: Miles
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Blackwell
authors.forename: Grant
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hammons
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Graham
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Heit
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D013509:Gynecologic Surgical Procedures; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012445:Sacrococcygeal Region / Q000601:surgery; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D013997:Time Factors; D017211:Treatment Failure; D014596:Uterine Prolapse / Q000601:surgery*; D014621:Vagina / Q000601:surgery*