The first experience of using tissue-engineered constructs for surgical correction of anterior vaginal wall prolapse

Objective. To study the effectiveness and safety of new surgical method for correcting the anterior vaginal wall prolapse using tissue-engineered constructs. Patients and methods. After preliminary experimental work on the creation and evaluation of the biocompatibility of tissueengineered constructs based on non-biodegradable (polypropylene and titanium endoprostheses) mesh implants with an autologous cellular component (rat and human dermal fibroblasts), 4 patients aged 44, 54, 70 and 75 years were examined. Inclusion criteria: anterior vaginal wall prolapse (stage II – III); consent to the installation of tissue-engineered construct. A fourstage surgical program providing for the correction of stage II-III anterior vaginal wall prolapse using tissue-engineered constructs of individual size was used. Results. In the early postoperative period, one patient was diagnosed with a small hematoma of the anterior vaginal wall. During the first month after surgery, one patient complained of gradual perineal pain, another patient – of frequent urination. Subsequently, these symptoms stopped. After 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 months after surgery, during the pelvic examination at rest, the Valsalva maneuver and transperineal ultrasound, no displacement of organs was detected, ultrasound clearly visualized a tissueengineered construct without displacement and deformation. Conclusion. We have developed an original method for correcting the prolapse of the anterior vaginal wall using tissueengineered constructs based on polypropylene and titanium with an autologous cellular component, which helps to optimize the results of surgical treatment, reduce the frequency of disease recurrence and the risk of developing mesh-related complications. Key words: pelvic organ prolapse, tissue-engineered constructs, surgical correction