Are polypropylene mesh implants associated with systemic autoimmune inflammatory syndromes? A systematic review

Purpose The surgical implantation of polypropylene (PP) meshes has been linked to the occurrence of systemic autoimmune disorders. We performed a systematic review to determine whether PP implants for inguinal, ventral hernia or pelvic floor surgery are associated with the development of systemic autoimmune syndromes. Methods We searched Embase, Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane library, clinicaltrialsregister.eu, clinicaltrails.gov and WHO-ICTR platform. Last search was performed on November 24th 2021. All types of studies reporting systemic inflammatory/autoimmune response in patients having a PP implant for either pelvic floor surgery, ventral or inguinal hernia repair were included. Animal studies, case reports and articles without full text were excluded. We intended to perform a meta-analysis. The quality of evidence was assessed with the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. This study was registered at Prospero (CRD42020220705). Results Of 2137 records identified, 4 were eligible. Two retrospective matched cohort studies focused on mesh surgery for vaginal prolapse or inguinal hernia compared to hysterectomy and colonoscopy, respectively. One cohort study compared the incidence of systemic conditions in women having urinary incontinence surgery with and without mesh. These reports had a low risk of bias. A meta-analysis showed no association when comparing systemic disease between mesh and control groups. Calculated risk ratio was 0.9 (95% CI 0.82–0.98). The fourth study was a case series with a high risk of bias, with a sample of 714 patients with systemic disease, 40 of whom had PP mesh implanted. Conclusion There is no evidence to suggest a causal relationship between being implanted with a PP mesh and the occurrence of autoimmune disorders.

A Risk Calculator for Post-Operative Urinary Retention (POUR) Following Vaginal Pelvic Floor Surgery: Multivariable Prediction Modelling

Objective: To determine the peri-operative characteristics associated with an increased risk of post-operative urinary retention (POUR) following vaginal pelvic floor surgery. Design: A retrospective cohort study using multivariable prediction modelling. Setting: A tertiary referral urogynaecology unit. Population: Patients undergoing vaginal pelvic floor surgery from January 2015 to February 2020. Methods: Eighteen variables (24 parameters) were compared between those with and without POUR and then included as potential predictors in statistical models to predict POUR. The final model was chosen as the one with the largest c-index from internal cross-validation. This was then externally validated using a separate data set (n=94) from another surgical centre. Main Outcome Measures: diagnosis of POUR following surgery while the patient was in hospital. Results: Among the 700 women undergoing surgery, 301 (43%) experienced POUR. Pre-operative variables with statistically significant univariate relationships with POUR included age, menopausal status, prolapse stage, and uroflow parameters. Significant peri-operative factors included estimated blood loss, amount of intravenous fluid administered, operative time, length of stay, and specific procedures including vaginal hysterectomy with intraperitoneal vault suspension, anterior colporrhaphy, posterior colporrhaphy, and colpocleisis. The lasso logistic regression model had the best combination of internally cross-validated c-index (0.73) and accurate calibration curve. Using this data, a POUR risk calculator was developed (https://pourrisk.shinyapps.io/POUR/). Conclusions: This POUR risk calculator will allow physicians to counsel patients pre-operatively on their risk of developing POUR after vaginal pelvic surgery and help focus discussion around potential management options.

P095 ARE POLYPROPYLENE MESH IMPLANTS ASSOCIATED WITH SYSTEMIC AUTOIMMUNE/INFLAMMATORY SYNDROMES?

Aim Worldwide there is a lot of commotion about the effects and complications of mesh implants. The surgical implantation of polypropylene (PP) meshes has been linked to the occurrence of systemic autoimmune disorders (SAIS). We performed a systematic review to determine whether PP implants for inguinal, ventral hernia or pelvic floor surgery are associated with the development of SAIS. Material and Methods We searched Embase, Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane library, clinicaltrialsregister.eu, clinicaltrails.gov and WHO-ICTR platform. Forward and backward reference searching was performed to avoid missing relevant papers. All types of studies, except case studies, reporting SAIS in patients having a PP implant for either pelvic floor surgery, ventral or inguinal hernia repair were included. Animal studies were excluded. We intended to perform a meta-analysis. The quality of evidence was assessed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. This study was registered at Prospero (CRD42020220705). Results Of 1938 records identified, 3 were eligible. Two studies involving retrospective matched cohorts focused on mesh surgery for vaginal prolapse or inguinal hernia compared to hysterectomy and colonoscopy, respectively. These reports had a low risk of bias. The third study was a case-series with a high risk of bias, with a sample of 714 patients with systemic disease, 40 of them had PP mesh implanted. A meta-analysis showed no association when comparing systemic disease between mesh and control groups. Calculated Risk Ratio was 0.9 (95%CI 0.78-1.04). Conclusions To date, there is no evidence to suggest a causal relationship between being implanted with a PP mesh and the occurrence of SAIS.

Current Role of Hysterectomy in Pelvic Floor Surgery: Time for Reappraisal? A Review of Current Literature and Expert Discussion

Since hysterectomy could be performed with low risk, it has been part of the standard of surgical prolapse therapy for decades. This has not been scrutinized for a long time. In this review, we describe the development of this issue in recent years. The current literature suggests that hysterectomy requires its own indication. The article describes the various options for a uterine-preserving surgical technique and the available data.

Postoperative urinary retention after pelvic organ prolapse surgery: influence of peri-operative factors and trial of void protocol

Purpose Transient postoperative urinary retention (POUR) is common after pelvic floor surgery. We aimed to determine the association between peri-operative variables and POUR and to determine the number of voids required for post-void residuals (PVRs) to normalize postoperatively. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 992 patients undergoing pelvic floor surgery at a tertiary referral centre from January 2015 to October 2017. Variables assessed included: age, BMI, ASA score, anaesthesia type, type of surgery, length of postoperative stay, surgeon, bladder protocol used, and number of PVRs required to “pass” the protocol. Results Significant risk factors for POUR included: placement of MUS during POP surgery, anterior repair and hysterectomy with concomitant sacrospinous vault suspension. A total of 25.1% were discharged requiring catheterization. Patients receiving a concomitant mid-urethral sling (MUS) were 2.2 (95% CI1.6–2.9) and 2.3 (95% CI 1.8–3.1) times more likely to have elevated PVR after their second TOV and third TOV (p < 0.0001), respectively, compared with those without concomitant MUS. Permitting a third TOV allowed an additional 10% of women to pass the voiding protocol before discharge. The median number of voids to pass protocol was 2. An ASA > 2 and placement of MUS were associated with increasing number of voids needed to pass protocol. Conclusions While many women passed protocol by the second void, using the 3rd void as a cut point to determine success would result in fewer women requiring catheterization after discharge. Prior to pelvic floor surgery, women should be counselled regarding POUR probability to allow for management of postoperative expectations.