Comparison of vaginal length after iliococcygeus fixation and sacrospinous ligament fixation

ObjectiveTo compare vaginal length after iliococcygeus fixation (ICF) and sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF).MethodsA retrospective cohort study was performed on patients undergoing ICF or SSLF. Sixty-seven patients were identified and, of these, only 46 had complete data sets, leaving 23 patients in either group eligible for study.ResultsThere were no significant differences in demographic data between the 2 groups. Mean vaginal length measurements were not significantly different before and after the ICF procedure (7.7 ± 0.9 cm vs 7.6 ± 0.8 cm, respectively; P = 0.68). However, the mean vaginal length was significantly shortened following SSLF (7.9 ± 0.8 cm vs 7.1 ± 1.1 cm, P = 0.001). The mean vaginal lengths preoperatively (7.7 ±0.9 cm vs 7.9 ± 0.8 cm, P = 0.51) and postoperatively (7.6 ± 0.8 cm vs 7.1 ± 1.1 cm, P = 0.07) were similar.ConclusionIliococcygeus fixation does not significantly shorten vaginal length at the time of vaginal vault suspension, whereas the sacrospinous ligament fixation procedure does shorten vaginal length.