Ultrasound imaging of paravaginal defects in women with stress incontinence before and after paravaginal defect repair

Abstract

Objective: The aim of our study was to analyze whether transabdominal and introital sonography can identify paravaginal defects and to determine changes that occur following paravaginal defect repair and Burch colposuspension. Methods: Twenty women with genuine stress incontinence took part in this prospective study. The mobility of the bladder neck was assessed transperineally with a curved array probe following instillation of 300 mL saline. The same probe was used transabdominally to determine the presence of paravaginal defects. Introital examination using a transvaginal probe was then performed to determine the presence of paravaginal defects. The same measurements were performed following Burch colposuspension and paravaginal defect repair. Results: There were significant differences in bladder neck position and mobility before and after surgical intervention. In 18 women before surgery, transabdominal ultrasound identified unilateral or bilateral paravaginal defects. Eight unilateral defects were found on the right side but only two were found on the left side. In eight women, the defect was bilateral. The introital approach obtained similar results apart from in two patients with a bilateral defect in whom it indicated a unilateral right defect. Between the first and second weeks following the operation transabdominal ultrasound found no paravaginal defects in 16 women and introital ultrasound found no paravaginal defects in 18 women. We were unable to visualize the region of the paravaginal defect in two women using transabdominal ultrasound because the abdominal wall was edematous after surgery. Five to 6 weeks after the operation, our results were confirmed by abdominal and introital ultrasound in all cases. No paravaginal defects were found in any of the patients after paravaginal defect repair. Conclusion: Our clinical study suggests that ultrasound scanning should be performed to confirm the presence of paravaginal defects and that paravaginal defect repair may be added to Burch colposuspension for the treatment of genuine stress incontinence, as an operation to correct cystourethrocele and the posterior urethrovesical angle.