Pelvic Floor Disorders After Vaginal Birth Effect of Episiotomy, Perineal Laceration, and Operative Birth
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Pelvic Floor Disorders After Vaginal Birth Effect of Episiotomy, Perineal Laceration, and Operative Birth Victoria L. Handa, MD, MHS, Joan L. Blomquist, MD, Kelly C. McDermott, BS, Sarah Friedman, MD, and Alvaro Mun˜oz, PhD OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether episiotomy, perineal who experienced at least one forceps birth (compared laceration, and operative delivery are associated with with delivering all her children by spontaneous vaginal pelvic floor disorders after vaginal childbirth. birth). METHODS: This is a planned analysis of data for a cohort CONCLUSION: Forceps deliveries and perineal lacera- study of pelvic floor disorders. Participants who had tions, but not episiotomies, were associated with pelvic experienced at least one vaginal birth were recruited floor disorders 5–10 years after a first delivery. 5–10 years after delivery of their first child. Obstetric (Obstet Gynecol 2012;119:233–9) exposures were classified by review of hospital records. DOI: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e318240df4f At enrollment, pelvic floor outcomes, including stress LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II incontinence, overactive bladder, anal incontinence, and prolapse symptoms were assessed with a validated ques- tionnaire. Pelvic organ support was assessed using the mong parous women, cesarean birth reduces the 1 Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification system. Logistic Aodds of pelvic floor disorders later in life. How- regression analysis was used to estimate the relative odds ever, most U.S women deliver vaginally. Therefore, it of each pelvic floor disorder by obstetric history, adjust- is important to identify labor interventions that in- ing for relevant confounders. crease the risk of pelvic floor disorders after vaginal RESULTS: Of 449 participants, 71 (16%) had stress incon- childbirth. tinence, 45 (10%) had overactive bladder, 56 (12%) had One area of substantial controversy is the role of anal incontinence, 19 (4%) had prolapse symptoms, and episiotomy and spontaneous perineal laceration. Al- 64 (14%) had prolapse to or beyond the hymen on most 80 years ago, episiotomy was proposed as a examination. Forceps delivery increased the odds of each strategy to prevent spontaneous laceration and to pelvic floor disorder considered, especially overactive thereby reduce “pelvic relaxation.”2 Specifically, su- bladder (odds ratio [OR] 2.92, 95% confidence interval perior pelvic organ support was observed 6 weeks [CI] 1.44–5.93), and prolapse (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.03–3.70). postpartum among women who had received episiot- Episiotomy was not associated with any of these pelvic omy.2–4 However, more recent studies have suggested floor disorders. In contrast, women with a history of that episiotomy may increase the odds of pelvic floor more than one spontaneous perineal laceration were disorders.5–7 Thus, the role of episiotomy is uncertain. significantly more likely to have prolapse to or beyond A 2005 systematic review concluded that the effect of the hymen (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.13–4.86). Our multivari- episiotomy on the development of pelvic floor disor- able results suggest that one additional woman would 8 have development of prolapse for every eight women ders remains unknown. Also controversial is the association between op- erative delivery and pelvic floor disorders. Although From the Department Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Greater Baltimore some research has suggested that operative delivery Medical Center, and the Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg substantially increases the odds for pelvic floor disor- School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland. ders,1 other research suggests that operative birth is Supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health not a strong predictor of urinary incontinence9–14 or and Human Development (R01HD056275). pelvic organ prolapse (POP).7 Corresponding author: Victoria L. Handa, MD, MHS, 4940 Eastern Avenue, 301 Building, Baltimore, MD 21224; e-mail: [email protected]. In this research, we investigated putative risk factors for pelvic floor disorders 5–10 years after © 2012 by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. childbirth among women who had at least one vagi- ISSN: 0029-7844/12 nal birth. This was a planned secondary aim of the VOL. 119, NO. 2, PART 1, FEBRUARY 2012 OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY 233 Mothers’ Outcomes After Delivery study, a longitu- delivery) was classified as prolonged if more than 2 dinal cohort study of pelvic floor disorders after hours. Macrosomia was defined as neonatal birth childbirth. In this analysis, we focused on whether weight of 4,000 g or more. Although all participants operative delivery, episiotomy, and spontaneous per- had their first delivery at our institution, some partic- ineal laceration were associated with the later devel- ipants delivered a subsequent child at a different opment of pelvic floor disorders among vaginally hospital. For these deliveries, we relied on the wom- parous women. Our goal was to identify modifiable an’s reported description of all obstetric events. obstetric risk factors for pelvic floor disorders. In addition to obstetric exposures, we considered the confounders of race, parity, maternal age at the MATERIALS AND METHODS time of first delivery, and obesity. Race and parity The Mothers’ Outcomes after Delivery study is a were self-reported at study enrollment. Obesity was prospective cohort study of pelvic floor outcomes in also determined at study enrollment. Specifically, women recruited 5–10 years after delivery of their each participant’s weight and height were measured first child.1 Institutional Review Board approval was and body mass index was calculated (weight (kg)/ obtained from Johns Hopkins Medicine Institutional [height (m)]2). Obesity was defined as a body mass Reviewer Board and the Greater Baltimore Medical index of 30 or more. Center Review Board, and all participants provided The outcomes of interest were the presence or written informed consent. Recruitment of women into absence of pelvic floor disorders, evaluated at the the study began in 2008 and is ongoing. The recruit- enrollment visit. We used the Epidemiology of Pro- ment methods have been described in detail else- lapse and Incontinence Questionnaire, a validated where.1 To be eligible, women must have given birth self-administered questionnaire,15 to identify women to their first child at Greater Baltimore Medical with bothersome symptoms of pelvic floor disorders. Center 5–10 years before enrollment. Participants This questionnaire generates scores for four pelvic were identified from obstetric hospital discharge re- floor disorders: stress urinary incontinence, overac- cords. To verify eligibility and to confirm delivery tive bladder, anal incontinence, and POP. In each type, each hospital chart was reviewed by a member case, a validated threshold is used to define women of our research team who was also an obstetrician. who meet criteria for the disorder. Scores greater than Obstetric exposures were derived from abstrac- these threshold values have been shown to corre- tion of all delivery records for each participant. The spond to clinically significant bother from pelvic floor exposures of primary interest were forceps and vac- symptoms.15 We used the published thresholds to uum delivery, episiotomy, and spontaneous perineal distinguish women with and without each pelvic floor laceration. These were classified after chart abstrac- disorder. tion. If relevant data were missing from the medical In addition to the research questionnaire, a gyne- record, then the participant’s recall was used to cologic examination was performed to assess pelvic classify her birth. With respect to laceration and organ support using the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quan- episiotomy, we considered the following as mutually tification examination system.16 The examination was exclusive at the delivery level: intact perineum; epi- performed by physicians and a research nurse, each siotomy (with or without extension to grade 3–4); and of whom demonstrated competency in performing grade 1–2 spontaneous perineal laceration (with or the research examination before the study; compe- without extension to grade 3–4). A delivery without tency was reconfirmed throughout the study. At the an episiotomy or laceration was classified as intact time of each examination, the clinician was blinded to perineum. Midline and mediolateral episiotomies the woman’s delivery history and her symptoms. were considered as a single group because only 8% of Women were classified as having objective evidence episiotomies in this population were classified as of POP if the most dependent point of the vaginal wall mediolateral. Although these perineal exposures (epi- or the cervix came to or beyond the hymen.1,17,18 siotomy, laceration, or intact) were defined in mutu- At enrollment into our cohort study, participants ally exclusive categories at each delivery, they were were asked about previous treatment for pelvic floor combined for each woman across all her deliveries for disorders, including surgery and pelvic muscle exer- analysis. cises (if the program was professionally supervised). Additional obstetric data were also abstracted Participants were also asked about current therapy, from the obstetric chart, including the duration of the including medications for urinary incontinence or second stage and the birth weight. The duration of the current pessary use