Abstract
Study design
Observational cross-sectional study.
Objectives
Due to weakened pelvic floor muscles, the risk of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) may increase after a spinal cord injury (SCI); hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of POP after SCI and to evaluate the need for urogynecological consultations offered to women with SCI.
Setting
Clinic for Spinal Cord Injuries, Rigshospitalet, Denmark.
Methods
Women with SCI who visited our SCI-clinic during January 2013−January 2018 were offered a specialized urogynecological consultation. Any symptoms of POP, urinary/fecal incontinence, or bladder/bowel emptying problems were registered, and POP was classified according to the POP quantification system during a pelvic examination. Differences in baseline characteristics between women with POP stage 0−1 and POP stage ≥2 were investigated.
Results
A total of 98 women were included in the study. Fourteen women (14%) reported POP symptoms and 21 women (21%) had anatomical POP stage ≥2. The group with POP stage ≥2 had a significantly higher age, higher parity, more with vaginal delivery, and more postmenopausal women, but the groups did not differ on median time after injury, neurological level, and completeness of injury. A total of 71% experienced urinary incontinence, 27% experienced fecal incontinence, 63% experienced bladder emptying problems, and 70% experienced bowel emptying problems. Consequently, 65% received treatment.
Conclusions
Women with SCI are not in increased risk of developing anatomical POP. Nonetheless, the high occurrence of other urogynecological issues and the high treatment-rate supports the need for specialized urogynecological consultations offered to women with SCI.
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Author contributions
ME was responsible for designing and planning the study, data analysis and interpretation, and writing the report. FB-S contributed to the design and planning of the study, interpretation of the results, and provided feedback on the report. MHB was responsible for data acquisition, contributed to interpretation of the results, and provided feedback on the report. NK contributed to the design and planning of the study, data analysis, interpretation of the results, and provided feedback on the report.
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ME and NK have received paid travel expenses from Contura travel expenses from Contura and MB has received paid travel expenses from Normedi. FB-S has no conflicts of interest to disclose.
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Elmelund, M., Biering-Sørensen, F., Bing, M.H. et al. Pelvic organ prolapse and urogynecological assessment in women with spinal cord injury. Spinal Cord 57, 18–25 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41393-018-0181-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41393-018-0181-0
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