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The effect of posterior colporrhaphy on anorectal function

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Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis

The objective of this study is to determine the effect of posterior colporrhaphy on bowel symptoms.

Methods

Comprehensive pelvic floor data were collected prospectively for 60 women undergoing posterior colporrhaphy. The electronic Personal Assessment Questionnaire-Pelvic Floor (ePAQ-PF) was completed at initial assessment and 3–6 months post-operatively. The bowel dimension of ePAQ-PF computes domain scores for IBS, constipation, evacuation, continence and QoL on a scale of 0–100. Preoperative bowel domain scores were compared with post-operative scores (Student t test).

Results

Significant improvement was seen in bowel evacuation (42%), continence (37%) and bowel-related QoL (61%) scores. IBS score improved by 28%, but this did not reach significance. There was no significant change noted in constipation (0.5%). All individual symptoms relating to bowel evacuation and continence improved significantly other than painful evacuation and incontinence to solid stool.

Conclusions

Bowel evacuation and continence improve significantly 3–6 months following posterior colporrhaphy and are associated with parallel improvement in QoL.

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Conflicts of interest

Stephen Radley is a shareholder in ePAQ Systems Ltd., an NHS spin-out technology company.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2SF, UK

    Anupreet Dua, Stephen Radley & Swati Jha

  2. Sheffield University, Sheffield, UK

    Georgina Jones

  3. Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, UK

    Steven Brown

Authors
  1. Anupreet Dua
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  2. Stephen Radley
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  3. Steven Brown
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  4. Swati Jha
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  5. Georgina Jones
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anupreet Dua.

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Dua, A., Radley, S., Brown, S. et al. The effect of posterior colporrhaphy on anorectal function. Int Urogynecol J 23, 749–753 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-011-1603-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-011-1603-0

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