Study of Uterine Prolapse Procedures - Randomized Trial

The primary purpose of this randomized clinical trial is to compare the effectiveness and safety of two transvaginal apical suspension strategies for uterovaginal prolapse: a mesh augmented hysteropexy versus vaginal hysterectomy and uterosacral ligament suspension (USLS). The primary aim is to determine whether treatment success in women who undergo the above strategies differ at time points through 3 years.

A supplemental study investigates anterior vaginal wall movement resulting from descent or rotation of the vaginal apex and/or anterior vaginal elongation, in women in both of the study arms of SUPeR.

The study population will be adult women (>21 years of age) with symptomatic uterovaginal prolapse at or beyond the hymen who desire vaginal surgical management. This study is intended to be done only on women who have completed child-bearing and have an inactive uterus, defined as amenorrhea for 1 year. Therefore women will be postmenopausal or will have amenorrhea from an endometrial ablation. Amenorrhea caused from exogenous steroids, or hypothalamic disorders will not allow inclusion.

Participants will be obtained from the clinic population of each of the eight Pelvic Floor Disorders Network (PFDN) sites. Participants will be randomly assigned to have either vaginal hysterectomy and USLS or mesh hysteropexy suspension for treatment of their uterovaginal prolapse. The surgical assignment will be revealed in the operating room, after the participant is under anesthesia.

Participants will be followed for at least 36-months (3-years) post surgery and up to a maximum of 60-months (5-years). Follow-up data will be obtained during in-person clinic visits, and study staff who are masked to the surgical assignment will be the primary person who obtain follow-up data. Although the primary study outcome does not depend on masked participants and blinded evaluators, several important participant reported secondary aims are subject to reporting bias if the participant is aware of her study assignment. Therefore, study participants, coordinators, and nurses will be masked to the study assignment. Study surgeons and anatomic evaluators will be unmasked. Evaluators conducting the POPQ exam will be a co-investigator, fellow or other qualified nurse who did not perform the study surgery.

Surgical failure rates will be compared using survival analysis approaches appropriate for interval censored data (classic log-rank tests and survival models using a generalized linear model approach with a complementary log-log link) and secondary outcomes will be reported as rates in each group or as group means and evaluated with the appropriate parametric or nonparametric statistical tests.

Throughout the study, the PFDN Data Safety and Monitoring Committee (DSMB) will review study data and decide if the study can or cannot continue. Additionally, this study will adhere to the CONSORT guidelines for performing and reporting randomized controlled trials (Begg et al 1996). Women who are eligible but decline enrollment will be characterized in a manner consistent with CONSORT requirements.