In a nutshell
The study looked at complications after surgery in women who had a vaginal mesh procedure to treat urinary incontinence (bladder control).
It found that 9.8% of women had complications within 5 years of the mesh surgery.
Some background
Vaginal mesh procedure is a type of surgery to treat stress urinary incontinence (leaking urine from the bladder). It uses mesh material to support the pelvic organs that help with urine control.
Complications of vaginal mesh surgery include bleeding, infection, pain and organ damage. It is necessary to identify the safety of vaginal mesh surgery.
Methods & findings
This large study analyzed 92,246 women who had mesh surgery over a period of 8 years. It examined women who were re-admitted to hospital for side effects. 1,541 (2.3%) of readmissions were due to mesh surgery complications.
Overall, 9.8% of patients who had mesh surgery experienced a complication within 30 days, or 5 years after the procedure. The risk of readmission was highest during the first 2 years.
The bottom line
The study found that 9.8% of women experienced a complication after vaginal mesh surgery.
The fine print
The study did not clarify that the complications were due to the mesh surgery. It did not compare difference in outcomes between the types of mesh surgery or the different complications.
What’s next?
Talk to your doctor about the safety of vaginal mesh surgery and other options.
Published By :
Scientific reports
Date :
Sep 20, 2017
