Pessary reduction and postoperative cure of retention in women with anterior vaginal wall prolapse

This study aimed to determine whether preoperative pessary reduction of anterior vaginal wall prolapse in patients with elevated postvoid residual (PVR) volumes relieves urinary retention, and if reconstructive pelvic surgery in these patients cures urinary retention. The records of all women with symptomatic anterior vaginal wall and urinary retention (PVR ≥100 cc) who underwent evaluation and surgical repair of the anterior vaginal wall at our institution between 1996 and 1999 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent a detailed urogynecologic and urodynamic evaluation and had a pessary trial prior to surgery. Cure of urinary retention was defined as PVR <100 cc at 3 months postoperatively. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for pessary reduction testing were calculated. Twenty-four patients met the inclusion criteria. Two patients (8%) had stage 2, eleven (46%) stage 3, and eleven (46%) stage 4 anterior vaginal wall prolapse. Preoperatively, the use of pessary was associated with relief of urinary retention in 75% patients. In predicting postoperative cure of urinary retention, pessary testing had a sensitivity of 89%, specificity of 80%, positive predictive value of 94%, and negative predictive value of 67%. Nineteen of 24 patients had a PVR <100 cc postoperatively, indicating a 79% cure rate for urinary retention. In women with symptomatic anterior vaginal wall prolapse and urinary retention, use of a pessary is associated with relief of retention in the majority of patients. Furthermore, pessary reduction testing has good sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value for postoperative voiding function.