To determinate the feasibility, reliability, and patient satisfaction of telephonic follow-up in women treated for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) or pelvic organ prolapse (POP): Patient-Home-Office-Novel-Evaluation (PHONE) study.
This is a prospective comparative study in women following surgery for SUI underwent middle urethral sling (MUS) (Group A), or symptomatic anterior vaginal wall (AVW) defect underwent AVW repair (fascial/mesh/biomesh) (Group B). The 1-year follow-up included a telephonic interview using a checklist and validated questionnaires followed by a standard outpatient clinic visit 7-12 days later including: an interview, validated questionnaires, objective examination, and score satisfaction with the telephone f-up.
We enrolled 420 pts: 215 for SUI in Group A, and 205 for POP in Group B. SUI recurrence was 19.1% and 11.6% at the telephone and office f-up respectively. De-novo urgency urinary incontinence rate was 7.5%. Telephone f-up was able to detect POP recurrence and related symptoms. Tape and mesh extrusions were detected only at the objective evaluation: 1.9 and 4.4% respectively. No difference was found at the questionnaires. Satisfaction with the telephone follow-up was high.
Due to the wrongly interpretation of de-novo urge urinary incontinence as a recurrence of SUI, a telephone interview may lose reliability in case of reported incontinence. Thus, telephone follow-up was feasible and reliable in women not reporting incontinence. In patients treated for POP the phone interview was a valid tool only in case of no-prosthetic surgery due to the absence of extrusion in these cases.
Urology. 2019 Nov 11 [Epub ahead of print]
Matteo Balzarro, Emanuele Rubilotta, Nicolò Trabacchin, Vito Mancini, Elisabetta Costantini, Walter Artibani, Alessandro Antonelli
Dept. of Urology Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona, Piazzale Stefani 1 Verona, 37100, Italy. Electronic address: ., Dept. of Urology Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona, Piazzale Stefani 1 Verona, 37100, Italy. Electronic address: ., Dept. of Urology and Renal Transplantation, University of Foggia, Viale Pinto 1, Foggia, 71122, Italy. Electronic address: ., Dept. of andrology and urogynecology, Santa Maria Hospital Terni, University of Perugia, Via Tristano di Joannuncio, Terni, 05100, Italy. Electronic address: ., Dept. of Urology Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona, Piazzale Stefani 1 Verona, 37100, Italy. Electronic address: ., Dept. of Urology Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Integrata Verona, Piazzale Stefani 1 Verona, 37100, Italy. Electronic address: .