Effectiveness of transvaginal colporrhaphy with porcine acellular collagen matrix in the treatment of moderate to severe cystoceles.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of transvaginal anterior colporrhaphy with the use of porcine acellular collagen matrix in the treatment of moderate to severe cystocele.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included 95 patients who underwent anterior colporrhaphy with the use of porcine dermus from September 2003 through March 2008 at the Gynaecological Department of University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis in Greece. The inclusion criterion was a grade 2-4 cystocele by the Baden-Walker halfway system. Postoperatively patients were evaluated at one, six and 12 months. Objective cure was defined as no or grade 1 cystocele with an asymptomatic patient at 12 months postoperatively. Improved outcome was considered as an asymptomatic patient with a grade 2 cystocele and failure symptomatic patients or with grade 3 or 4 cystocele.

Results: All of the patients had a 12-month postoperative follow-up or were noted as a failure prior to the 12-month assessment. The majority of the women were menopausal (88.4%) and overweight (mean BMI 26.1). The overall cure rate was 81.1%, the improvement of the cystocele was 10.5% while the failure rate was 8.4%. The complications we noted were vaginal erosion in 2.01% and graft extrusion in 1.05% of the patients.

Conclusion: Transvaginal anterior colporrhaphy using porcine dermal in the treatment of moderate to severe cystocele is simple, safe, easily learned and performed with a high success rate and low morbidity.