VOIDlNG DYSFUNCTION AND DETRUSOR INSTABILITY AFTER THE COLPOSUSPENSION OPERATION FOR GENUINE STRESS INCONTINENCE

VOIDING DYSFUNCTION AND DETRUSOR INSTABILITY AFTER THE COLPOSUSPENSION OPERATION FOR GENUINE STRESS INCONTINENCE LUIGI BOMBIERI Colposuspension is an effective treatment for genuine stress incontinence. Continence is restored by positioning the bladder neck in a fixed and elevated retro-pubic position. Despite a high success rate of up to 90%, post-operative complications occur which may have an adverse effect on quality oflife. Voiding difficulties develop in 0-43% of patients and detrusor instability in 225%. This considerable variability is due to differences in definition, the timing of assessment, patient selection, and probably also in surgical technique. The natural history of these complications is not clearly known due to the lack of prospective follow-up studies. There is also general uncertainty with regards to their causes. While retrospective studies have attempted to identify pre-operative risk factors, there are no prospective studies which attempt to correlate the anatomical and functional changes caused by surgery with the development of voiding dysfunction and detrusor instability. This study has investigated prospectively 77 women undergoing the operation of colposuspension in relation to the incidence, natural history and causes of post-operative voiding dysfunction and detrusor instability. The complications were identified and followed-up objectively by means of serial urodynamic studies. Patients were also assessed clinically and using quality of life measures. The development of complications were correlated to a number of anatomical and functional changes caused by surgery. Anatomical changes were identified mainly by imaging the bladder neck with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Functional changes were identified using urodynamic studies.