Sexual Function and Discomfort in Women After Midurethral Sling Surgery

Introduction and hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to evaluate medium-term sexual function following midurethral sling (MUS) surgery.

Methods: This was an ambidirectional observational study with a nested matched case-control study performed in a tertiary urogynecology referral center. We assessed sexual discomfort and function using the Pelvi-Perineal Surgery Sexuality Questionnaire (PPSSQ), pre- and postoperatively, in a patient cohort that comprised patients who underwent an MUS procedure between January 2014 and December 2019. We recruited a group of volunteers without a previous history of MUS surgery. The nested case-control study comprised a subgroup of cases from the patients' cohort matched to controls from the volunteer's cohort. Cases and controls were matched for age and menopausal status at a 1:1 ratio.

Results: A total of 118 patients and 128 volunteers were recruited. Of these, 105 cases and 105 controls comprised the nested case-control study. There was no statistically significant difference in the mean discomfort and pain scores between cases and controls (19.8 ± 21.2 vs 15.4 ± 15.7 respectively; p = 0.19 primary outcome). Similarly, there was no difference in mean sexual health scores. However, the rate of reported sensation of an obstruction in the vagina was significantly more in cases (16%) than in controls (2.6%; p = 0.001). There were no significant differences between patient-reported sexual function at follow-up compared with their recollection before surgery.

Conclusion: Midurethral sling surgery does not seem to impair the quality of sexual life in the medium term.