Complications in Pelvic Organ Prolapse With 3-Month Versus 6-Month Pessary Care: Pilot Study.

Importance: Despite evidence emphasizing the necessity of routine care for women with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) using pessaries, the frequency of follow-up is unclear.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the presence of complications in women with POP using vaginal pessaries with cleaning and gynecological examination every 3 or 6 months.

Study design: This pilot study was a randomized clinical trial of women with advanced POP using a ring pessary. The women were randomized into 2 groups ("3-month group" and a "6-month group") that returned for evaluation by a health care professional that monitored the vagina, removed the pessary, cleaned it, and reinserted it. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected. During their follow-up, the women answered a questionnaire regarding the presence of vaginal symptoms and had a physical examination and vaginal sampling for microbiological analysis.

Results: A total of 38 women were randomized into 2 groups: the 3-month group (n = 18) and the 6-month group (n = 20). Baseline characteristics of the groups were similar except for age, which was 70.7 (±7.4) years in the 3-month group and 74.7 (±6.6) years in the 6-month group (P = 0.022). Regarding physical examination, after 12 months of follow-up, 4 women in each group presented erosions or ulcers in each group, but without difference (P = 1). The presence of bacterial vaginosis was more frequent in the group with cleaning every 6 months (P = 0.026).

Conclusions: The prevalence of ulcerations was similar in both groups with cleaning every 3 or 6 months, but the group with cleaning every 6 months showed a higher prevalence of bacterial vaginosis.