Transabdominal approach to repair of vaginal vault prolapse.

PURPOSE: To review the preoperative evaluation of women with vaginal vault prolapse and describe the surgical methods of treatment using a transabdominal approach. METHODS: Abdominal sacral colpopexy is the most widely performed method of transabdominal correction of vaginal vault prolapse. The procedure is completed by securing the apex to the vagina to the periosteum of the sacrum with mesh. This procedure is demonstrated in great detail. Successful repair can be achieved by other transabdominal approaches and by laparoscopic approaches. RESULTS: Twenty women (mean age 67.9 years) were evaluated for complex pelvic floor prolapse. Six (30.0%) patients had failed transvaginal sacrospinus ligament fixation. Abdominal sacrocolpopexy utilizing Marlex mesh, Halban culdeplasty, and paravaginal repair was performed on all patients. Five posterior repairs and one anterior repair was done. The average operating time for the colpopexy and enterocele repair alone is approximately 90 minutes. The average blood loss was 284 cc. The average hospital stay was 3.7 days. The mean follow-up is 11.3 months (6-27 months). The vaginal vault is well supported in all patients with no recurrent enterocele or vault prolapse. Three patients have asymptomatic grade II cystoceles, and three patients have asymptomatic grade II rectoceles. There were few complications. No mesh complications have been encountered. CONCLUSIONS: Vaginal vault prolapse can be a difficult problem to diagnose and treat. Successful treatment requires thorough knowledge of the anatomy, methods of diagnosis, and treatment options. The abdominal sacrocolpopexy achieves excellent correction of vaginal vault prolapse with minimal morbidity.