Long-term results of rectocele surgical treatment by rectovaginal septum repair with a W-shaped mesh implant

Abstract

40 patients with grade 2 and 3 rectocele were included in the study. The long-term results of surgical treatment within a timeframe of 12–42 months after surgery were evaluated in 34 (85 %) patients. The average duration of the disease history amounted to 5 (0.7–19) years. The mean age of the patients was 53.1±10.3 (Me=54.5) years. Before the surgery, as well as 6 and 12 months after the surgery, all patients underwent radiological defecography and were interviewed by means of specialized questionnaires to determine the disorders of the evacuation function of the colon and comprehensively assess the symptomatology of pelvic organ prolapse. Late postoperative complications were revealed in 2 out of 35 (5.7 %) patients 6 months after the surgical intervention. Twelve months after surgery and over, 31 out of 34 (91 %) patients had good or satisfactory outcomes characterized by a significant decrease in the manifestations of obstructed defecation syndrome, confirmed by the results of defecography, which showed an improvement in all criteria of the rectal evacuation function evaluation. These data objectively confirm the effectiveness of this method of treatment. The comparative analysis of the results of the patient survey by means of specialized questionnaires demonstrated a statistically significant difference between the level of scores before the intervention and 12 months after rectovaginal septum repair with W-shaped mesh implant. In conclusion, the method of rectovaginal septum repair with W-shaped mesh implant demonstrated its high efficiency, including the evaluation in the long-term follow-up period.