NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Among women treated for menorrhagia, vaginal hysterectomy does not appear to be associated with an increased risk of urge or stress urinary incontinence, according to French researchers.

In the July issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Renaud de Tayrac of Hopital Antoine Beclere, Clamart and colleagues note that vaginal hysterectomy is associated with less morbidity than is abdominal hysterectomy.

The researchers speculated that this might also be true of urinary incontinence. To investigate, they obtained questionnaire responses from 117 women who had undergone vaginal hysterectomy for menorrhagia.

These were compared with responses from a similar group of women who had received endometrial thermocoagulation to treat dysfunctional uterine bleeding.

After a mean follow-up of 4.6 years in the hysterectomy group and of 4.0 years in the conservative therapy group, there were no significant differences in urinary symptoms, including urge and stress incontinence.

Thus the researchers conclude that there is "no particular risk" of such symptoms after vaginal hysterectomy.

Am J Obstet Gynecol 2004;191:90-94

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