Non-inferiority Randomized Double Blind Controlled Trial Comparing Results of Laparoscopic Sacrocolpopexy With or Without Preventive Prerectal Mesh in Women Operated for Urogenital Prolapse Without Significant Posterior Vaginal Wall Prolapse

Urogenital prolapse is a frequent and invalidating pathology in women, involving the anterior vaginal wall and the uterus in most cases. Posterior vaginal wall prolapse is present in only 50% of cases. Surgery is an option for women with troublesome prolapse. A woman's lifetime risk of undergoing surgery for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) surgery by the age of 80 is around 19%. Laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy (LS) with synthetic non-absorbable mesh is considered the gold standard, with a composite success rate of 85% at one year (Prospere study). Based on early experience and historical habits, a prerectal mesh was used to be systematically placed in the rectovaginal space, in addition to the anterior and apical mesh placed in the vesicovaginal space, in order to prevent de-novo posterior prolapse (reported rates up to 33%).

The benefit of preventive prerectal mesh is questionned on the basis of a single retrospective study comparing 68 LS with double-mesh (anterior & posterior, DM) to 32 LS with a single anterior mesh (SAM): posterior recurrence rates were respectively 5.9 vs. 31.3% (p<0,01), and total recurrence rates 16.2 vs. 43.8% (p<0.01). However, as this difference was not significant in the subgroup of patients without associated cervicocystopexy, the authors concluded that the risk of posterior failure was only due to the cervicocystopexy itself (anti-urinary incontinence procedure which has been abandoned since).

On the other hand, a prerectal mesh increases the risk for specific complications: rectal injury (up to 3%), anal pain (up to 25%), mesh exposition (up to 2%). Furthermore the posterior mesh increases the procedure by a minimum of 30 minutes (Robolaps study, unpublished data). The rate of de-novo obstructed defecation after LS with prerectal mesh is reported up to 25%. It could be explained by the mesh itself, but also by nerve injuries during the dissection of the rectovaginal space and rectal stalks.