More than half of patients with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) complain of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), especially voiding difficulty. Surgical approaches such as laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (LSC) and transvaginal mesh surgery (TVM) often result in improved voiding function in POP cases. The present study primarily aimed to evaluate postoperative longitudinal changes in bladder-related parameters after POP repair rather than determine superiority between surgical techniques.
We retrospectively evaluated 216 patients with POP treated with LSC or TVM at our hospital. LSC was used for 86 patients, and TVM for 130 patients. Preoperative bladder capacity (BC), voided urine volume (VV), and post-void residual urine volume (PVR) were recorded. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QOL) score, and 60-min pad weight testing were also used to assess QOL change in LUTS.
BC significantly decreased 3, 6, and 12 months after LSC, and 6, 12 months after TVM. VV significantly declined 12 months after LSC but almost did not change compared with its preoperative value. PVR, IPSS, and QOL score significantly decreased 3-12 months postoperatively in both groups. Conversely, the rate of complications after surgery did not significantly differ between both groups. Comparison of preoperative condition and 1-year postoperative outcomes showed no significant differences in PVR, 60-min pad test, and IPSS plus QOL score.
Our findings suggest that postoperative reduction in PVR may be associated with decreased BC at strong desire to void rather than increased tidal VV.
The journal of obstetrics and gynaecology research. 2026 Jun [Epub]
Kenji Kuroda, Hideaki Miyoshi, Koetsu Hamamoto, Kazuki Kawamura, Ayako Masunaga, Hiroaki Kobayashi, Keiichi Ito
Department of Urology, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan.