The effect of age on short-term outcomes after abdominal surgery for pelvic organ prolapse.
OBJECTIVE
To compare perioperative morbidity and 1-year outcomes of older and younger women undergoing surgery for pelvic organ prolapse (POP).


METHODS
Prospective ancillary analysis.


METHODS
Academic medical centers in National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Colpopexy and Urinary Reduction Study.


METHODS
Women with POP and no symptoms of stress incontinence.


METHODS
Abdominal sacrocolpopexy with randomization to receive Burch colposuspension for treatment of possible occult incontinence or not.


METHODS
Perioperative complications and Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification and quality-of-life (QOL) questionnaires (Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory, Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire, and Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and 6 weeks and 3 and 12 months postoperatively).


RESULTS
Three hundred twenty-two women aged 31 to 82 (21% aged > or =70), 93% white. Older women had higher baseline comorbidity (P<.001) and more severe POP (P=.003). Controlling for prolapse stage and whether Burch was performed, there were no age differences in complication rates. Older women had longer hospital stays (3.1+/-1.0 vs 2.7+/-1.5 days, P=.02) and higher prevalence of incontinence at 6 weeks (54.7% vs 37.2%, P=.005). At 3 and 12 months, there were no differences in self-reported incontinence, stress testing for incontinence, or prolapse stage. Improvements from baseline were significant on all QOL measures but with no age differences.


CONCLUSIONS
Outcomes of prolapse surgery were comparable between older and younger women except that older women had slightly longer hospital stays.
Richter
Holly E
HE
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA. hrichter@uab.edu
Goode
Patricia S
PS
Kenton
Kim
K
Brown
Morton B
MB
Burgio
Kathryn L
KL
Kreder
Karl
K
Moalli
Pamela
P
Wright
E James
EJ
Weber
Anne M
AM
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D013509:Gynecologic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000009:adverse effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014596:Uterine Prolapse / Q000601:surgery*