Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Prospective observational study of the impact of vaginal surgery (pelvic organ prolapse with or without urinary incontinence) on female sexual function

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Urogynecology Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis

There is a difference of opinion in the literature as to whether pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a direct cause of female sexual dysfunction (FSD). Sexual function in women is negatively impacted by the presence of urinary symptoms. Thus, sexual dysfunction (SD) might be improved, unchanged, or worsened by pelvic floor surgery.

Methods

In this study, we observed SD and impact of surgical intervention on female sexual function (FSF) using a validated Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire Short Form (PISQ-12) in women undergoing surgery for POP with or without urinary incontinence. Two hundred women were recruited and followed up at 6 and 12 months postoperatively.

Results

Sexual function (SF) as measured by the PISQ-12 improved after surgery irrespective of the nature of surgery or the patient’s past gynaecology history. Improvement in SF was seen by 6 months (97 patients) postsurgery (P < 0.05), after which (at 12 months; 80 patients) no further change was observed. Improved SF was associated with better patient satisfaction postoperatively.

Conclusions

Sexual function improved in women following surgery for POP with or withour urinary incontinence, irrespective of the nature of surgery and the patient’s past gynecologic history. Results of this study will assist when counselling women with POP with or without urinary incontinence regarding treatment options.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Laumann EO, Paik A, Rosen RC. Sexual dysfunction in the United States: prevalence and predictors. JAMA. 1999;281:537–44. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.281.6.537.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Raina R, Pahlajani G, Khan S, Gupta S, Agarwal A, Zippe CD. Female sexual dysfunction: classification,pathophysiology, and management. Fertil Steril. 2007;88(5).

  3. Swift SE. Distribution of pelvic organ support in a population of female subjects seen for routine gynaecological health care. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2000;183(2):277–85.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Swift S, Woodman P, O'Boyle A, Kahn M, Valley M, Bland D, et al. Pelvic organ support study (POSST): the distribution, clinical definition, and epidemiologic condition of pelvic organ support defects. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2005;192(3):795–806.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Jolleys JV. Reported prevalence of urinary incontinence in women in a general practice. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed). 1988;296(6632):1300–2.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Fialkow MF, Newton KM, Lentz GM, Weiss NS. Lifetime risk of surgical management for pelvic organ prolapse or urinary incontinence. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct. 2008;19(3):437–40.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Barber MD, Visco AG, Wyman JF, Fantl JA, Bump RC, Continence Program for Women Research Group. Sexual function in women with urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Obstet Gynecol. 2002;99(2):281–9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Pauls RN, Silva WA, Rooney CM, Siddighi S, Kleeman SD, Dryfhout V, et al. Sexual function after vaginal surgery for pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2007;197(6):622.e1–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Salonia A, Zanni G, Nappi RE, Briganti A, Dehò F, Fabbri F, et al. Sexual dysfunction is common in women with lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary incontinence: results of a cross-sectional study. Eur Urol. 2004;45(5):642–8. discussion 648

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Rogers RG, Kammerer-Doak D, Villarreal A, et al. A new instrument to measure sexual function in women with urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2001;184:552.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Handa VL, Cundiff G, Chang HH, Helzlsouer KJ. Female sexual function and pelvic floor disorders. Obstet Gynecol. 2008;111(5):1045–52. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0b013e31816bbe85.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  12. Nappi R, Salonia A, Traish AM, van Lunsen RH, Vardi Y, Kodiglu A, et al. Clinical biologic pathophysiologies of women's sexual dysfunction. J Sex Med. 2005;2(1):4–25.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Althof SE, Dean J, Derogatis LR, Rosen RC, Sisson M. Current perspectives on the clinical assessment and diagnosis of female sexual dysfunction and clinical studies of potential therapies: a statement of concern. J Sex Med. 2005;48:642–9.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Su TH, Lau HH, Huang WC, Chen SS, Lin TY, Hsieh CH, et al. Short term impact on female sexual function of pelvic floor reconstruction with the Prolift procedure. J Sex Med. 2009;6(11):3201–7. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01399.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Rogers RG, Kammerer-Doak D, Darrow A, Murray K, Qualls C, Olsen A, et al. Does sexual function change after surgery for stress urinary incontinence and/or pelvic organ prolapse? A multicenter prospective study. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2006;195(5):e1–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Thakar R, Chawla S, Scheer I, et al. Sexual function following pelvic floor surgery. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2008;102:110.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Srikrishna S, Robinson D, Cardozo L, Gonzalez J. Can sex survive pelvic floor surgery? Int Urogynecol J. 2010;21(11):1313–9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-010-1198-x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Occhino JA, Trabuco EC, Heisler CA, Klingele CJ, Gebhart JB. Changes in vaginal anatomy and sexual function after vaginal surgery. Int Urogynecol J. 2011;22(7):799–804. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-011-1386-3.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Helström L, Nilsson B. Impact of vaginal surgery on sexuality and quality of life in women with urinary incontinence or genital descensus. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2005;84(1):79–84.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Hasse P, Skidstead L. Influence of operations for stress incontinence and/or genital descensus on sexual life. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 1988;67(7):659–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Lemack GE, Zimmern PE. Sexual function after vaginal surgery for stress incontinence: results of a mailed questionnaire. Urology. 2000;56:223.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Neill C, Abdel-Fattah M, Ramsay IN. Sexual function and vaginal surgery. Obstet Gynaecol. 2009;11:193–8. https://doi.org/10.1576/toag.11.3.193.27504.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Roos AM, Thakar R, Sultan AH, de Leeuw JW, Paulus AT. The impact of pelvic floor surgery on female sexual function: a mixed quantitative and qualitative study. BJOG. 2014;121(1):92–100. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0528.12412.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Weber AM, Walters MD, Schover LR, Mitchinson A. Sexual function in women with uterovaginal prolapse and urinary incontinence. Obstet Gynecol. 1995;85:483.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Brubaker L, Chiang S, Zyczynski H, Norton P, Kalinoski DL, Stoddard A, et al. The impact of stress incontinence surgery on female sexual function. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2009;200(5):562.e1–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2008.11.017.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Glavind K. Sexual function in women before and after surgery for pelvic organ prolapse. AOGS. 2015;94:80–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Lindquist AS, Glavind K. Long-term follow-up of sexual function in women before and after tension-free vaginal tape operation for stress urinary incontinence. IUJ. 2016;27(10):1571–6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-016-3004-x.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Sloan J, Symonds T, Vargas-Chanes D, Fridley B. Practical guidelines for assessing the clinical significance of health-related quality of life changes within clinical trials. Drug Inf J. 2003;37(1):23–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Tok EC, Yasa O, Ertunc D, Savas A, Durukan H, Kanik A. The effect of pelvic organ prolapse on sexual function in a general cohort of women. J Sex Med. 2010;7(12):3957–62. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01940.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Lowenstein L, Gamble T, Sanses TV, et al. Changes in sexual function after treatment for prolapse are related to the improvement in body image perception. J Sex Med. 2010;7:1023.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

Project was funded by the Department of Urogynaecology, South Glasgow University Hospital.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, 1345 Govan Road, Glasgow, G51 4TF, UK

    Veenu Tyagi, Karen Guerrero & Stewart Pringle

  2. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Princes Royal Maternity Hospital, 16 Alexandra Parade, Glasgow, G16 2ER, UK

    Mahesh Perera

  3. Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow, G4 0BA, UK

    Suzanne Hagen

Authors
  1. Veenu Tyagi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mahesh Perera
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Karen Guerrero
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Suzanne Hagen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Stewart Pringle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Veenu Tyagi.

Ethics declarations

Conflicts of interest

None.

Appendix 1

Appendix 1

figure a

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tyagi, V., Perera, M., Guerrero, K. et al. Prospective observational study of the impact of vaginal surgery (pelvic organ prolapse with or without urinary incontinence) on female sexual function. Int Urogynecol J 29, 837–845 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-017-3500-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-017-3500-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation