title: Risk of mesh erosion with sacral colpopexy and concurrent hysterectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine short- and long-term mesh-related complications in women undergoing abdominal sacral colpopexy with concurrent hysterectomy, compared with women with a prior hysterectomy undergoing sacral colpopexy alone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patient characteristics, hospital complications, postoperative clinical course, and long-term graft-related complications were reviewed for all women with genital prolapse who underwent abdominal sacral colopexy between 1996 and 1998. Women with concurrent hysterectomy were compared with women with vaginal prolapse after a prior hysterectomy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred twenty-four patients, 60 with concurrent hysterectomy and 64 with prior hysterectomy, were observed postoperatively for a median of 35.5 (0-74) months. Demographics of the two groups were similar, with a mean age of 65.1 +/- 9.4 years and a mean body mass index of 25.8 +/- 4.2 kg/m(2). Eighty percent of colpopexies used prolene synthetic mesh and 20% allograft material. Initial operative and hospital complications were rare in both groups and included a blood transfusion of 2 U, a ureteral transection, a wound infection, heart block, and an arrhythmia. Delayed graft complications included one mesh erosion in a patient with a prior hysterectomy that was managed by office resection (0.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Concurrent hysterectomy with abdominal sacral colopopexy has a low incidence of mesh complications and can be used as a first-line treatment for genital prolapse.
authors.affiliation: John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96826, USA. brizzola@hawaii.edu
authors.forename: Shawna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brizzolara
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pillai-Allen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D013509:Gynecologic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007044:Hysterectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D014596:Uterine Prolapse / Q000601:surgery*