Incontinence and detrusor dysfunction associated with pelvic organ prolapse: clinical value of preoperative urodynamic evaluation.

Introduction and hypothesis: We examined how preoperative urodynamic findings are related to the urinary problems following surgical repair of pelvic organ prolapse (POP).

Methods: The clinical records of 87 women who underwent surgery for POP were reviewed retrospectively. Preoperatively, cough stress test and urodynamic testing, including pressure-flow study, were performed with prolapse reduction. Postoperative evaluation included uroflowmetry, postvoid residuals, and symptom assessment using questionnaires.

Results: A cough stress test with simple filling was sufficient for diagnosis of occult stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The presence of detrusor overactivity was a good predictor of postoperative persistence of urgency and urge urinary incontinence. Postvoid residuals (PVR) largely increased immediately after surgery, but usually recovered within 1 month. Poor detrusor contractility was the best predictor of large PVR occurrence.

Conclusions: Preoperative urodynamic evaluation of SUI and detrusor function was useful for predicting postoperative urinary conditions in POP patients. Its cost-effectiveness remains to be examined.