TITLE:
Epidemiologic and Therapeutic Aspect of Urogenital Fistula Following Obstetric and Gynecologic Surgeries Repaired at the Nkwen Baptist Hospital
AUTHORS:
William Ako Takang, Mangoue Moubeariane Landry, Ngwa Tangang Ebogo Titus, Julius Sama Dohbit
KEYWORDS:
Urogenital Fistula, Obstetric Surgery, Gynecologic Surgery
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.13 No.3,
March
17,
2023
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Urogenital fistula is an abnormal communication between the urinary and
the genital
systems. It may occur following vaginal deliveries or following pelvic
surgeries. Data concerning
urogenital fistula post-surgery is limited and we have noticed in recent years
in Sub-Saharan Africa, an increase in the burden of iatrogenic urogenital fistula. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiology, clinical profiles and
therapeutic aspects
of urogenital fistula following obstetric
and gynaecologic surgeries repaired at the Nkwen Baptist Hospital Bamenda. Materials/Methods: This was a longitudinal descriptive
study with a retrospective and prospective phase carried out at the Nkwen
Baptist Hospital for 5 months. However the complete
duration of the study was about 17 months. Data was collected using a pretested questionnaire containing socio-demographic
information, clinical features, and therapeutic methods used. We used the statistical software SPSS (Social Package for Statistical
Sciences) V 26.0 for data analysis. Results: The number of participants in the study was 40. The mean age was 43.5
years (+/- 13.3) ranging from 16 - 74 years. The prevalence of
urogenital fistula post obstetric and gynecologic surgeries at the Nkwen
Baptist hospital was 64.6%. The most common symptom was urine leakage and the
most common surgery that exposed the patient to the urogenital fistula was
total abdominal hysterectomy (60%) followed by caesarean section (35%). The different indications
for these surgeries were mostly symptomatic leiomyoma (70.8 %) and prolonged
labor (64.2%) respectively. The different types of fistula encountered were
Vesicovaginal fistula (55%), Ureterovaginal fistula 40% and Vesicoutetrine
fistula 5%. The different treatment modalities used were trans abdominal (77.5%) and
transvaginal repair (22.5%). The overall repair success
rate after one month was 85%. Conclusion: There is high burden of urogenital fistula post
surgeries in our setting. Having more specialists trained in obstetric and gynaecologic procedures may help in the
prevention of such an event.