Laparoscopic lateral suspension for pelvic organ prolapse: A systematic literature review

Background Abdominal lateral suspension with mesh represents an alternative treatment to suspend the vaginal apex. Objectives The aim of this study was to summarize literature data regarding the anatomical and functional outcomes, and intra- and postoperative complications of this technique with minimally invasive approach (laparoscopic/robotic). Search strategy Systematic literature search using MEDLINE/PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science. Data collection and analysis Two authors extracted data on baseline characteristics (age, BMI, prior pelvic reconstructive surgery, preoperative POP stage), perioperative outcomes (operative time, estimated blood loss, intraoperative and postoperative complications, admission time), objective and subjective success rate, surgical failure, time of follow-up. Data were presented descriptively. Main Results Thirteen studies were included in the review. The overall number of patients for our analysis was 1066. Patients referred for laparoscopic/robotic lateral suspension were most frequently postmenopausal, aged 50 to 65 years, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2; 22.2% were already hysterectomized, while 17% had already a previous POP surgery. Operative time ranged from 78.4 ± 29.7 to 254 ± 45 min. The overall anatomic success was more than 90% in the apical compartment and more than 88% in the anterior compartment. Subjective cure rate varies from 78.4% to 100% in medium-term follow-up. Post-operative complication grade >= 3 according to Claiven-Dindo Scale was 1.03%. Mesh erosion rate varied between 0% and 13%. Conclusions Results coming from our systematic review suggest safety, efficacy and feasibility of minimally invasive lateral suspension with optimal anatomical and functional outcomes. Well‐designed, randomized, controlled trials are required to confirm this data.