Surgically induced weight loss results in a rapid and consistent improvement of female pelvic floor symptoms

AbstractObjective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect over time of bariatric surgery on female pelvic floor symptoms.Methods: In total, 160 consecutive adult women were requested to complete four anonymous questionnaires [International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ), Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (BFLUTS), Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI-20) and Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ-12)] before bariatric surgery and at 3–6 months and 12–24 months postoperatively. Strict criteria were used to define clinically significant urinary incontinence (UI), pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and colorectal–anal (CRA) symptoms. Statistical analyses were performed using paired, two-sided, Student’s t test for continuous data, and Fisher’s exact test for categorical data.Results: Altogether, 101 women (67%, mean age 41.6 ± 11.8 years, mean preoperative body mass index 41.6 ± 4.6 kg/m²) completed all questionnaires. In women who had preoperat...