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Hormonal changes have been proposed as an etiological factor of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) during pregnancy. Our main objective was to demonstrate the role of hormones in SUI development during pregnancy and postpartum. A prospective longitudinal study was designed. Primiparous women without previous urinary incontinence symptoms were included. Symptoms and Quality of Life (QoL) Questionnaires, physical examinations, and hormone concentration (progesterone, estradiol, and relaxin) were collected twice during pregnancy and three times during postpartum. Logistic regression models, with Wald's forward variable selection method, were used. Prevalence of SUI was 11% in the first trimester, 50% in the third trimester, and 16.4% at 6 months postpartum. The risk of developing SUI throughout pregnancy is higher in women with higher progesterone concentration in the first trimester (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.06-1.81, p < 0.05) and it is lower in women with stronger pelvic floor muscles in the first trimester (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.17-0.72, p < 0.05). When occurred during pregnancy, SUI has a 14-fold higher risk of persistence 6 months after birth. In addition, the severity of these symptoms is also an independent risk factor for SUI persistence at 6 months postpartum (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.15-1.73, p < 0.05). Quality of Life was affected for pregnant women with SUI symptoms. SUI is a highly prevalent condition during pregnancy, affecting the QoL of women in many areas. Higher concentration of progesterone can play a role in SUI development during pregnancy. The presence and severity of SUI during pregnancy are risk factors for the persistence of symptoms 6 months postpartum. Sustaining an optimal pelvic floor muscle strength could prevent SUI during pregnancy.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: We aimed to evaluate the results of a readjustable sling (Remeex® system) among a selected group of women with complex stress urinary incontinence (SUI) with sonographic hypomobile urethra and assessing failure-related risk factors. METHODS: Observational, longitudinal, prospective cohort study, including patients who underwent surgery with the Remeex® system. The primary outcome was a binary outcome in change of one level or more of the severity of urinary incontinence symptoms according to the intervals of the Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-UI-SF) score (mild, moderate, severe and very severe). Secondary outcomes were postsurgical complications, absolute ICIQ-UI-SF, 24-h pad weight test (24-h PT), urodynamic SUI and Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I) score to evaluate subjective success. RESULTS: Among 120 women included, after surgery we found a 70% subjective success rate, a 76.7% decrease of urinary incontinence severity and a mean reduction of the 24-h PT of 109.6 ± 291.4 g. Women with post-surgical decreased severity of incontinence had lower mean body mass index (BMI) and 24-h PT than those without incontinence severity changes with statistically significant differences (p = 0.028 and p = 0.027, respectively). A logistic regression model demonstrated that a 1-point increase of BMI increased the risk of persistence of incontinence severity after surgery by 19% (OR = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.01-1.41; p = 0.040), and an increase of 10 g in the pre-surgical 24-h PT represented a 3% rise of the aforementioned risk (OR = 1.03; 95% CI: 1.01-1.06; p = 0.034). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with complex SUI and sonographic hypomobile urethra, use of a readjustable sling (Remeex® system) led to improvement of SUI. Patients with a greater BMI and pre-surgical 24-h PT showed worse results after surgery.

OBJECTIVES: "Significant" obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS) have been defined as visible defects of at least 30° in at least 4/6 slices using tomographic ultrasound imaging (TUI) with transperineal ultrasound (TPUS). The objective of this study was to assess if TUI is mandatory for the evaluation of OASIS. METHODS: Patients with a history of OASIS were evaluated by performing 3D-endoanal ultrasound (EAUS) and 3D-TPUS with and without TUI. Any damage to the internal (IAS) or external (EAS) anal sphincters was recorded and scored using the Starck's and the Norderval's systems. Intraobserver and inter-techniques correlations were calculated. RESULTS: From September 2012 to May 2015, 63 women, mean age 32.5 ± 4.6 years, with OASIS (3a: 26 pts., 41.3 %; 3b: 26 pts., 41.3 %; 3c: 6 pts., 9.5 %, 4: 4 pts., 6.3 %, "button hole" tear: 1 pt., 1.6 %). Inter-technique and intraobserver correlations were excellent (TUI: k = 0.9; sweeping technique: k = 0.85; EAUS: k = 0.9) in determining OASIS. Using the Starck's Score, excellent correlation was found for both TPUS modalities (TUI: k = 0.86; sweeping technique: k = 0.89). However, for the different individual parameters, the correlation was moderate for EAS depth (TUI: k = 0.44; sweeping technique: k = 0.5) and good for IAS depth (TUI: k = 0.7; sweeping technique: k = 0.78). Similar results were found using the Norderval's classification. CONCLUSIONS: OASIS can be assessed by TPUS without TUI technique, dragging the rendered box and following the anal canal from the anal verge to the anorectal junction in the longitudinal plane and describing findings.

PURPOSE: To study the relationship between symptoms of anal incontinence (AI) and the anatomy and functionality of the levator ani muscle in women with a history of obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI). METHODS: This is a cohort study including patients with OASI from 2013 to 2016. Patients were assessed by a physical examination, endoanal ultrasound using Starck Scale, perineometry and 4D transperineal ultrasound. AI in all patients was measured with the Wexner scale. Correlation between variables has been analyzed in these patients. RESULTS: 72 patients were analyzed: 28 with a IIIA degree tear, 26 with a IIIB, 13 with a IIIC and 5 with a IV. 38 patients showed a residual anal sphincter (AS) defect on endoanal ultrasound with an average Starck score of 6.5 ± 3.7. 21 patients expressed AI, with an average Wexner score of 4.1 ± 2.4. In 27 (37.5%) patients, a levator ani avulsion was observed: 17 unilateral and 10 bilateral. Patients with a levator ani defect had weaker pelvic floor muscle (PFM) function. These differences were statistically significant with perineometry (p = 0.01 and p = 0.03) but not for the Oxford test (p = 0.08). Patients with a residual AS defect as well as an injury to the levator ani muscle expressed greater AI symptomatology than patients with residual sphincter injury who maintain the integrity of the levator ani: Wexner 4.9 0.9 vs 3.3 1 (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The PFM has correlation with AI symptom development in patients with a history of OASI. Therefore, we suggest a key role of anatomical and functional assessments of the levator ani muscle in these patients.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: There is a distinct lack of literature on postoperative management after anterior colporrhaphy (AC). Our traditional postoperative protocol consisted of 24 h of indwelling catheterisation followed by 24 h of self-intermittent catheterisation. We hypothesised that a new protocol consisting of only 24 h of indwelling catheterisation might produce better results without additional complications. METHODS: From April 2014 to July 2017, all candidates for AC were randomised to catheter removal 24 or 48 h after surgery. The primary outcome was the postoperative urinary retention (POUR) rate. Secondary outcomes included: asymptomatic bacteriuria (AB), urinary tract infection (UTI) and postoperative pain after 24 h. RESULTS: A total of 79 patients were recruited. Thirty-seven and 40 patients were randomised to follow the 48-h protocol and the 24-h protocol respectively. There were no significant differences in relation to the POUR rate: 3 patients (8.1%) vs 1 (2.5%) in the 48-h vs the 24-h group respectively (p = 0.346). The UTI rate was 2 (8.1%) vs 0 patients respectively (p = 0.139) and the postoperative AB rate was 3 (9.1%) vs 0 patients (p = 0.106). In the postoperative pain evaluation, the visual analogue scale score was significantly higher in the 48 h group (0.35 vs 0.13, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: According to our results, reducing the catheterisation from 48 to 24 h after AC does not increase the risk of POUR and decreases the rate of UTI, AB and postoperative pain. This new postoperative management protocol of pelvic floor surgery would improve postoperative outcomes and shorten the stay in hospital.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: For the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI), various retropubic and transobturator techniques have demonstrated high cure rates. Single-incision tapes, such as Contasure-Needleless® (C-NDL), have demonstrated similar cure rates to the inside-out transobturator sling (TVT-O®). The aim of this study was to analyse if C-NDL® is equally as effective as an outside-in transobturator sling (Monarc®) for the treatment of SUI. METHODS: We carried out a prospective, single-centre, randomised trial. The results were analysed for a non-inferiority test with a minimum postoperative follow-up of 12 months. The objective and subjective cure rates were evaluated by a stress test and a postoperative Sandvik Severity Index respectively. Patient satisfaction and operative complications were registered. The cure was defined by a negative stress test and SSI 0. RESULTS: A total of 187 patients were included, 89 and 98 undergoing C-NDL® and Monarc® respectively. Epidemiological and clinical data did not show and significant differences between both groups except a high prevalence of women who smoke (15.7% C-NDL® vs 6.1% Monarc®, p 0.03). The negative stress test was negative in 72 patients (80.9%) in C-NDL® compared with 85 (88.5%) in Monarc® (p 0.082). The SSI was 0 in 47 (66.2%) for C-NDL® and 61 (70.1%) for the Monarc® group (p 0.01). There were 14 (16.1%) and 8 (8.3%) dissatisfied patients for the C-NDL® and Monarc® groups respectively (p 0.068). The rate of complications was similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: According to the non-inferiority test, C-NDL® is not inferior to Monarc® (post-surgical SSI test), but it is inferior in the comparison of a negative stress test and patient satisfaction.

To determine whether there are differences in the etiologies of two of the most common pelvic floor disorders (PFD), pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI).