title: Prognostic factors of recurrence after vesicovaginal fistula repair.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluate the prognostic factors of recurrence in patients after the surgical repair of vesicovaginal fistula.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1985 to 2002, 73 women with vesicovaginal fistula underwent late (> 3 months) surgical repair. A multivariate analysis of the data was performed with the EPI-INFO software. All P-values were two-sided, with odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total number of 73 patients underwent 97 procedures with a mean rate of 1.38 procedures/patient. The overall surgical success rate was 86.7%. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that recurrence was statistically significant for multiple fistulas (single vs two or more), fistula size (>10 mm), fistula type (Type I vs Type II), fistula etiology (obstetrical vs non-obstetrical) and the presence of urinary tract infection before the repair. Recurrence risk was fivefold higher for both the size and the type of the fistula, threefold higher for obstetrical etiology and 4.5-fold higher for multiple fistula. The interposition of flaps was a protective factor for recurrent cases. The surgical approach was not a significant prognostic factor of recurrence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Successful closure of a vesicovaginal fistula requires an accurate and a timely repair using procedures that exploit basic surgical principles. Multiple fistula, size and type of the fistula, and obstetrical etiology were the recurrence risk factors. We recommend in all patients with multiple risk factors for recurrence, the interposition of flaps.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Charles Nicolle Hospital, Tunis, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ayed
authors.forename: Rabii
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: El Atat
authors.forename: Lotfi Ben
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Hassine
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sfaxi
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chebil
authors.forename: Saadoun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zmerli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013519:Urogenital Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D014719:Vesicovaginal Fistula / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery*