Procedures for pelvic organ prolapse in the United States, 1979-1997.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of our study was to describe national rates of surgery for pelvic organ prolapse.


METHODS
We used the National Hospital Discharge Survey, a federal database that samples inpatient hospitals in the United States. Data from 1979 to 1997 were analyzed for diagnoses and procedures coded with the ICD-9-CM classification system. Age-adjusted rates were calculated by using the 1990 census population and compared for change over time by using the Score test for linear trend.


RESULTS
Approximately 200,000 women undergo inpatient procedures for prolapse in the United States each year, ranging from 165,000 in 1988 to 226,000 in 1979. There was a significant decrease in the overall age-adjusted rate of procedures performed over the study period, from 2.2 to 1.5 procedures per 1000 women (P =.01). The rate of prolapse procedures for women younger than 50 years decreased by more than half (1.9 to 0.8 per 1000 women, P <.001), whereas the rate remained stable in women who were aged 50 years and older (2.7 to 3.3 per 1000 women, P =.5).


CONCLUSIONS
Prolapse procedures are performed very frequently in the United States, although the rate has decreased slightly over time.
Boyles
Sarah Hamilton
SH
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
Weber
Anne M
AM
Meyn
Leslie
L
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D013509:Gynecologic Surgical Procedures / Q000401:mortality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006276:Health Facility Size; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006278:Medicare; D008875:Middle Aged; D020047:Rectocele / Q000601:surgery; D014481:United States; D001745:Urinary Bladder Diseases / Q000601:surgery; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000601:surgery; D014596:Uterine Prolapse / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*