Outcome of using a modified surgical technique for the repair of complex vesicovaginal fistulas in Nigeria

Abstract

The relatively low effectiveness of available surgical repair techniques for complex obstetric fistula has justified the need for continued exploration of more effective repair techniques. Subjects who presented at a vesicovaginal fistula referral centre in Nigeria were randomized into the study group (modified technique) and the control group (conventional technique). Success rates between the two groups were compared. The study comprised 29 patients in each arm of the study. The mean age of patients in the study group was 23.9 ± 9.6 years and 24.4 ± 2.1 years among patients in the control group with the vast majority of the patients in the both groups being married, 75.9% and 86.2% respectively. In both groups, the majority were secundipara, 55.2% in the study group and 44.8% in the control group. The majority (41.4% in the study group and 44.8% in the control group) of the patients in both groups had attained primary level of education. The mean duration of the fistulas among patients in the study population was 1.1 ± 0.3 years with over half (50.0% among patients in the study group and 53.5% of patients in the control group) of the patients had their fistula for less than one year. A highly statistically significant difference in success rate between patients in the study group and patients in the control group was obtained (p=0.0004). The modified repair technique presented by this study has proved to produce superior results when compared to the conventional repair technique in the management of complex obstetric fistulas in Nigeria.

Keywords

• Obstetric fistula
• surgical repair
• modified technique
• success rate
• Nigeria.