Women´s sexual life after urogynaecological operations

Abstract

Urinary incontinence is the most common reason for urogynaecological surgery in women. Stress urinary incontinence can be treated by conservative therapy (pharmacotherapy, physiotherapy) or surgical treatment. There is a lot of the surgical method of urinary incontinence treatment but none of them seem to be ideal. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the urogynaecological methods, except reduction of incontinence symptoms, should consist of assessment of sexual life, sexuality as well as sexual functioning in women. It is possible by using specific questionnaires.
The American Psychiatric Association developed a new classification system for female sexual dysfunction as a part of DSM-IV. This system included psychogenic and organic causes of desire, arousal, orgasm and sexual pain disorders. The diagnostic sexual life quality questionnaires are good work tools, helped in early diagnosis of sexual disorders and monitoring their course and prevention. The evaluation of sexual function and sexuality in women after surgery for stress incontinence is still unsatisfactory and the data of available studies are controversial.