Onset and Progression of Urogenital Symptoms after Surgical Menopause: A Prospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Introduction: Surgical menopause is the cessation of menstruation resulting from the surgical removal of the uterus and bilateral ovaries, which leads to a sudden decrease in oestrogen levels and its subsequent effects. Urogenital symptoms are chronic and progressive, but only a few women seek medical care for these symptoms, which are often overlooked during routine follow-ups. Aim: To investigate the onset and progression of various urogenital symptoms after surgical menopause. Materials and Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Government Medical College, Thrissur, Kerala, India from January 2020 to December 2020. A total of 110 women who underwent Total Abdominal Hysterectomy (TAH) and Bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy (BSO) for benign conditions were included in the study. The women were asked about the onset of urogenital symptoms at six weeks and 12 weeks after surgery. They were required to indicate whether they experienced four urogenital symptoms (vaginal dryness, frequent urination, urinary incontinence, and reduced sexual desire) using a menopause rating scale. The severity of symptoms was categorised as none (0), mild (1), moderate (2), severe (3), or very severe (4). The progression of symptom severity from three months to six months of follow-up was analysed using Chi-square tests. Results: Urogenital symptoms that developed after surgery included vaginal dryness, dyspareunia, bladder symptoms, and reduced sexual desire. At least one of these symptoms developed in 95 (86.4%) women by 12 weeks. Vaginal dryness was reported by 40 subjects (36.4%) at six weeks, with 36 (32.7%) reporting mild symptoms, 4 (3.6%) reporting moderate symptoms, and none reporting severe or very severe symptoms. At 12 weeks, vaginal dryness was reported by 61 subjects (55.5%), with 21 (19.1%) reporting mild symptoms, 18 (16.4%) reporting moderate symptoms, 20 (18.2%) reporting severe symptoms, and 2 (1.8%) reporting very severe symptoms (p-value<0.05). Other symptoms showed a similar pattern of progression. Conclusion: Urogenital symptoms can start as early as six weeks after surgery and can worsen in severity if left untreated.

Keywords

• dyspareunia
• menopause rating scale
• urinary incontinence
• vaginal dryness