Evaluation of female sexual dysfunction post reconstructive pelvic organ prolapse surgery

Abstract 

Objective :
Sexual dysfunction is common in women of childbearing age, leading to physical and emotional distress and negatively impacting a woman’s social, physical, and psychological well-being. Simple tools have been designed to assess the impact of pelvic floor disorders (PFD) on women’s sexual health. However, no studies were found that assessed in the UAE.This research examines the effects of Reconstructive Pelvic Organ Prolapse Surgery Using Vaginal Native Tissue Repair on female sexual dysfunction. It explores the existing literature by incorporating other aspects, including the PFD, presenting the symptoms and anatomical changes resulting from insufficient operations of the pelvic floor muscles. Usually, the surgery affects the coordination of the pelvic floor muscles, leading to sexual dysfunction. This study aims to compare the sexual function of women who underwent surgery by incorporating the three forms of operations.

Design  and Methods:
This is a retrospective cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study with 52 respondents using the pre-validated Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire to assess sexual function. All women who underwent POP surgery at SSMC, UAE, between 1 January 2020 and 30 December 2021 were recruited. The responses were graded using a Likert scale, while SPSS analyzed the findings. The subjects had a thorough history and physical examination at baseline. The baseline data were age, BMI, menopause status, parity, past prolapse surgery, prior hysterectomy, and tobacco usage. Women who were sexually active following surgery were evaluated to examine changes in overall and question-specific outcomes. The SSMC ethics committee granted the study's request for exemption from ethical clearance.

Results:
The overall score on the PISQ-12 for all participants was 37.02 (77.08%). The findings show no significant differences among the following groups: POP stage, prolapse compartment, and type of incontinence. The result shows that participants who underwent past surgery had a higher sexual function. It further revealed differences in the surgery performed and other groups, namely: POP stage, prolapse compartment, dyspareunia, type of incontinence, and coital UI.

Conclusion:
The study revealed that surgery did not influence the sexual functions of the participants, contradicting previous studies that show the effectiveness of surgery in treating the condition