To assess the effect of hysterectomy with or without pelvic organ prolapse (POP) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and pelvic floor disorders.
Prospective clinical study at two central hospitals in Finland. During one year 322 women underwent elective hysterectomy for benign conditions with or without vaginal wall repair. The study population was divided in two groups, patients with and without POP. The HRQoL questionnaires RAND-36 and 15D, and questionnaires assessing urinary and bowel dysfunction symptoms were obtained preoperatively and 12 months postoperatively. POP was defined as the descent of apical, anterior or posterior compartment of vaginal wall grade =2 in the Baden-Walker classification at any site. Main outcome measures were HRQoL, improvement of symptoms and de novo symptoms.
At baseline the mean 15D score of all patients was lower than that of the age-standardized population sample (p