Predictors for de novo stress urinary incontinence following pelvic reconstructive surgery with mesh.

Objective: The aims of this study are to describe the postoperative incidence of de novo stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women who underwent anterior vaginal compartment prolapse repair using synthetic polypropylene mesh and to identify risk factors for this outcome.

Study Design: A retrospective cohort study of 146 women who underwent anterior vaginal repair from 2007 to 2017 and followed by a minimum period of 12 months was performed. The incidence of de novo SUI was evaluated at 3 and 12 months of follow-up. Women with concomitant or prior anti-incontinence surgery were not included. Preoperatively, all patients had a negative stress test and no evidence of occult SUI on urodynamics. The outcome was considered positive if the patient had complaints of SUI at the follow-up. Variables associated with the outcome with a p-value ≤ 0.10 were included in a logistic regression model to calculate the relative risk (RR) for de novo SUI. For multivariate analysis, all analyzes were performed considering a significant p-value ≤ 0.05.

Results: The incidence of de novo SUI at 3 and 12 months of follow-up was 15.8 % and 20.5 %, respectively. Higher body mass index (BMI), diabetes, anterior vaginal wall prolapse stage ≥ 3, older age at first pregnancy and higher first desire to void during the urodynamic evaluation were positively associated with de novo SUI in the bivariate analysis (p ≤ 0.10). Previous perineoplasty had a negative association with the outcome analyzed, suggesting a protective effect. After the multivariate analysis, higher BMI (RR 1.19, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.05-1.36), diabetes (RR 4.18, 95 % CI 1.32-13.21) and anterior vaginal wall prolapse stage ≥ 3 (RR 14.74, 95 % CI 1.64-132.0) remained as risk factors for de novo SUI (p ≤ 0.01).

Conclusion: The incidence of de novo SUI after the surgical correction of anterior vaginal wall prolapse with synthetic mesh in this population was 15.8 % and 20.5 % at 3 and 12 months of follow-up, respectively. Continent women who underwent this surgical procedure and who had a higher BMI, diabetes and anterior vaginal wall prolapse stage ≥ 3 had a higher risk of presenting de novo SUI.