title: Operation for pelvic organ prolapse: a follow-up study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Long-term results of surgery for pelvic organ prolapse in terms of objective and subjective cure rates, postoperative complications and side-effects were studied retrospectively.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and sixty-nine women underwent surgery between 1986 and 1988 and were invited to a follow-up visit in 1998-99. One hundred and twenty-eight (47%) women attended the follow-up. In the time between surgery and follow-up, 67 (25%) women had died. The medical records were reviewed for women not attending follow-up (n = 131), revealing a higher age and a more severe prolapse in the lost to follow-up group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The subjective cure rate, with cure of all symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse, was 46% (n = 59). The objective cure rate, with satisfactory anatomic outcome, was 56% (n = 72). If perfect results had been attained in the women who did not undergo follow-up examination, the subjective and objective cure rates would be 73% and 79%, respectively. Previous prolapse surgery, a traumatic delivery, urinary incontinence and a prolapse stage III or more seemed to be risk factors for an adverse outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In evaluating the cure rate of pelvic floor surgery not only the anatomic outcome should be studied but also the outcome in terms of side-effects and/or symptoms as resolved, persistent or new onset. An unsatisfactory anatomic outcome was not necessarily associated with symptoms. The modest cure rate after surgery may be due to the aggravation with time of pelvic floor disorder, this confounding the results of surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska Institutet, South Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. Gunilla.Tegerstedt@kk.sos.sll.se
authors.forename: Gunilla
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tegerstedt
authors.forename: Margareta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hammarström
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008499:Medical Records; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014596:Uterine Prolapse / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*