Vaginal sacrospinous fixation: experience in a district general hospital

Abstract

This is an observational retrospective study, which included 77 patients who underwent sacrospinous fixation (SSF) over a period of 3 years in a district general hospital. Casenotes were reviewed and all patients were invited to attend a further review appointment (14-49 months). The object was to determine short- and long-term success of SSF,particularly in elderly (28% were > or = 70 years), obese (24.7%) and medically compromised (64.9%) patients. Fifty-two patients (67.5%) had previous gynaecological procedures, while the remaining 25 (32.5%) had no previous surgery. Intra- and postoperative complications were 3.9% and 32.5%, respectively. There was considerable relief of patients' symptoms at both short- and long-term followup, while the rate of recurrence of vault prolapse was 10.3%. Our experience suggests that SSF appears to be a safe and effective procedure, especially for those who may constitute surgical or anaesthetic risks. It has a reasonable success rate, good postoperative recovery and acceptable long-term results.

Comparison of Unilateral and Bilateral Sacrospinous Ligament Fixation Using Minimally Invasive Anchorage

“…The most frequent complication is hemorrhage related to pudendal vascular injuries. Other complications include pudendal and sciatic nerve injuries, bladder injuries, gluteal pain, and suture abscess [7,24,25]. Pohl and Frattarelli found that bilateral SSLF resulted in increased blood loss of 25-50 mL and that the operative time was 20-30 minutes longer compared with unilateral SSLF [26].…”

Clinical Effect of Uterosacral and Cardinal Ligament Fixation versus Sacrospinous Ligament Fixation of Vaginal Vault Prolapse: A Retrospective Analysis

“…Some scholars opine that preventive apical vaginal reconstruction can be performed on patients who are at a high risk of apical vaginal prolapse after hysterectomy [ 4 , 22 ]. SSLF or USCLF can be selected for patients with degree III or IV uterine prolapse, where the apex of the vagina may prolapse to or beyond the vaginal orifice under traction after hysterectomy; SSLF is recommended if the uterosacral ligament is found to be apparently lax or weak and cannot be used as support during the surgery [ 23 ].…”