Levator contraction strength and genital hiatus as risk factors for recurrent pelvic organ prolapse.

Objective: To correlate levator ani contraction strength and genital hiatus measurements with surgical failure in prolapse.

Study Design: This retrospective study involved chart review for documentation of levator contraction strength, genital hiatus measurement, and recurrent pelvic floor disorders in women who underwent surgery for prolapse.

Results: The recurrent prolapse rate was 34.6%. Median follow-up interval was 5 months. Diminished levator strength was associated with recurrent prolapse (35.8% versus 0%; P = .017). A genital hiatus 5 cm or greater was associated with recurrent prolapse (44.2% vs 27.8%; P = .034). Inability to contract the levator ani was associated with urinary incontinence (35.1% vs 18.8%; P = .023). Increasing levator contraction strength was associated with a decreased reoperation rate for pelvic floor disorders, whereas genital hiatus correlated best with recurrent prolapse.

Conclusion: Diminished levator ani contraction strength and a widened genital hiatus correlate with an increase in surgical failures in the early postoperative period. These tools are useful for counseling a patient concerning surgery for prolapse.