Graft and mesh use in vaginal surgery

Pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence are among the most common chronic disorders in women. these are common problems whose pathogenesis remains unclear. as life expectancy increases,significantly greater number of women now present with pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence requiring surgical intervention. currently,the lifetime risk of undergoing prolapse or continence surgery is one in 11,and up to 30% of patients will require repeat reconstructive surgery and repeat surgery for incontinence in 10%. in an attempt to improve surgical outcomes and to preserve vaginal capacity and coital function,a number of synthetic and biological prostheses have been developed. this review aims to look at the role of graft and mesh in vaginal surgery. we conducted a search for english-language articles published during 1997 to 2016,using medline,pubmed and united states' national library of medicine databases. we reviewed around 50 papers but referenced only 30 for this article. the literature review provided us a new insight regarding safety of mesh. polypropylene mesh is safe for vaginal surgery if used by experienced surgeons. the safety of mesh becomes compromised in the hands of commercial surgical kit providers. all the new mesh tailored kits should undergo evidence-based trials and then can be safely used worldwide. © 2017,pakistan medical association. all rights reserved.