Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Quality of life after surgery for prolapse and incontinence
By Taylor-Phillips F et al.·2026·School of Humanities and Social Science, United Kingdom·View original on Europe PMC →
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Original publication title: A qualitative study to inform the development of a new quality of life measure for surgery for prolapse, incontinence and mesh complications.
Plain-English summary
A study was conducted to better understand how surgery for pelvic organ prolapse, stress urinary incontinence, and complications from pelvic mesh surgery affects patients' quality of life. Researchers spoke with 31 women who had undergone these surgeries, some recently and others several years ago. They found that while many women experienced improvements in their symptoms and daily activities after surgery, some continued to face problems or even developed new issues. Additionally, those who had previous surgeries involving mesh reported poorer quality of life outcomes. Overall, the findings suggest that the effects of these surgeries are complex and can vary greatly from person to person.
Abstract
<h4>Background</h4>The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence in the United Kingdom have recommended the development of a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) specific to surgery for pelvic organ prolapse (POP), stress urinary incontinence (SUI), and complications of pelvic mesh surgery (MC).<h4>Aims</h4>To identify all aspects of quality of life (QoL) that may be impacted by surgery for POP, SUI and MC, to inform the development of a new PROM.<h4>Method</h4>Thirty-one patients who had undergone surgery for POP, SUI and MC (ranging from <6 months to >5 years ago) were purposively recruited from various National Health Service (NHS) Trusts, as well as community support groups for the conditions. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken over the phone or via video-conferencing software, and a framework approach was employed to analyse the data. A Patient and Public Involvement group, comprising seven women who had undergone surgery for POP, SUI and/or MC, were consulted on various aspects of the study.<h4>Findings</h4>We identified nine themes for potential inclusion in the PROM. The themes are short-term impacts of surgery; long-term impacts on pre-surgery symptoms; pain and/or discomfort; impact on daily activities; social and leisure activities; emotional wellbeing; sexual activity; personal relationships; and work/education. While some participants showed improvements in these areas following surgery, it was also evident that for some, issues persisted, worsened, or developed post-surgery. Those in the sample who had previous surgery involving mesh reported worse QoL outcomes overall.<h4>Conclusion</h4>The impact of surgery for POP, SUI and MC on QoL is multidimensional and complex. It is recommended that a future PROM encompasses the potential for improvement of symptoms, the failure of surgery to improve symptoms, the development of new symptoms after surgery, and the consequential positive and negative impacts of surgery on activity, roles, psychological well-being and ultimately QoL, in both the short and long term.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Europe PMC: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/41767757