This study demonstrates that the PFDI-20 is a valid and useful tool to analyze pelvic floor dysfunction in the postpartum population through quality of life assessment. Perineal tears are a common phenomenon after vaginal delivery, with an incidence of 53-85%, highly dependent on patient characteristics, labor movements, and obstetric assistance during delivery. [13]. Our case study shows that major vaginal injuries are actually more common among women with higher prepregnancy BMI, excessive weight gain during pregnancy, and higher fetal birth weight.
Most vaginal tears are mild (grades I and II) and heal without complications. [16]. However, 3-11% of nulliparous women after vaginal delivery suffer injuries involving the anal sphincter. [5,6,7,8,9,10] and is associated with significant short- and long-term maternal morbidity. Similarly, in our case history, the rate of perineal lacerations among births registered between 2015 and 2021 was 2.4% for III and IV degrees and 53% for I and II degrees .
Most women (60-80%) are asymptomatic at 1-year follow-up; [10]Damage to the anal sphincter complex can still cause pelvic floor dysfunction, such as pelvic floor prolapse and urinary incontinence, and its severity has rarely been mentioned in various studies. In fact, occult injuries are rare, as shown in a recent study of 1,348 women over 13 years of follow-up with non-invasive anorectal testing of asymptomatic women after primary OASI. Not. [21] And best of all, fecal incontinence can go unnoticed for years until a doctor’s visit, ultimately leading to poor quality of life years later. [22].
Levator ani avulsion is the result of excessive mechanical stretching and expansion during labor. The lesions can be mild or severe, often depending on the laterality of the lesion (unilateral versus bilateral avulsions, respectively). [23]. It has been demonstrated that as a result of muscle avulsion, the gap between the insertion of the levator ani muscle on the subpubic ramus and the center of the urethral lumen widens. [24]. In fact, the levator-urethral gap (LUG) is used for qualitative and objective assessment of local damage, either through clinical (vaginal palpation) or radiological evaluation (translabial ultrasound reconstruction and magnetic resonance). It has been proposed as a landmark since various years. imaging) [24,25,26].
Urinary and fecal incontinence are important sources of embarrassment and social discomfort in women’s lives and, as mentioned above, are difficult to investigate during postpartum management visits. Therefore, it is necessary to rely on validated questionnaires among the puerperal population that allow the course of pathology-specific symptoms to be classified and subsequently tracked over time.
The survey PFDI-20 was introduced in 2001 to measure the quality of life of women with pelvic floor disease, assess the effectiveness of certain treatments, and compare symptoms between different patient groups. I did. This questionnaire followed further research first described by Shumaker et al. [27]created for women with lower urinary tract dysfunction (UDI-Urinary Tract Stress Inventory and IIQ-Incontinence Impact Questionnaire) [20].
Although these tools have typically been applied to symptomatic populations, our study is the first to deliver the PFDI-20 to a group of women who have recently given birth, regardless of symptoms. In fact, perineal examination alone does not adequately predict all symptoms associated with pelvic floor dysfunction. [28]. For these reasons, we believe that the PFDI-20 provides additional information to identify and stratify possible diseases according to the degree of vaginal laceration.
Despite the direct relationship between the severity of perineal injury and the degree of reported discomfort, it remains a subject of debate. [29,30,31]Our study showed that most pelvic floor disorders tended to worsen or persist over time in the severe perineal tear group than in the control group.
According to KL Sheku [31]One of the hypotheses supporting the development of genital prolapse is that grade III and IV vaginal tears are more frequently associated with potential avulsion of the elevator ani muscle. In fact, our study confirms that women with major perineal injuries more frequently experience symptoms of organ prolapse, such as lower abdominal pressure, heaviness, and heaviness.
On the other hand, bowel symptoms associated with pelvic prolapse have been shown to have a significant impact on the daily lives of women who have sustained large lacerations in the past. These patients have been shown to suffer from lack of bowel stimulation, incomplete bowel emptying, gas and fecal incontinence, pain and fecal urgency, sudden onset and genital bulging burden.
These results are consistent with a systematic review [32] We show that grade III and IV sphincter rupture is the only etiologic factor that is strongly (total anal incontinence) or moderately (intestinal incontinence) associated with postpartum fecal incontinence. Therefore, from our point of view, CRADI subsection is a fundamental tool for evaluating and following up patients with vaginal sphincter rupture.
A cross-sectional study of 537 women conducted 3 months after childbirth found that the prevalence of urinary symptoms in primiparous women was 8.2% for stress urinary incontinence and 5.5% for urge urinary incontinence; , it was shown that there is a significant correlation between urinary frequency and dysuria.Increase in the number of subsequent vaginal deliveries [33].
Our study found that among urinary symptoms, severe perineal tearing was more frequently associated with urinary frequency, urge urinary incontinence, stress urinary incontinence, and incomplete bladder emptying. Indeed, the prevalence of postpartum incontinence during the first three months postpartum is estimated to reach 33%, and longitudinal studies during the first year postpartum report only small changes in prevalence over time. Is not … [32].Maternal age and nulliparity are factors that significantly influence this aspect. [34].
Our study therefore confirms what is already known about the close relationship between vaginal delivery, severe perineal lacerations, and pelvic floor dysfunction. The statistical significance of most of the items analyzed in each study demonstrated the importance of the PDFI-20 as a tool in the diagnosis and follow-up of pelvic floor disorders in nulliparous women with recent first vaginal birth complicated by III or III. It seems to confirm the gender. Grade IV perineal laceration.