The Microcirculation of Vaginal Tissue in Women with Obstetric Vesicovaginal Fistula and Short-Term Effects of Surgical Repair on Microvascular Parameters.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The objective of the study was to better understand the extent of the ischemic trauma and the effects of surgical repair on the vaginal microcirculation in patients with obstetric vesicovaginal fistula (VVF).

Design

In this observational study, we evaluated the vaginal microvasculature surrounding VVF using handheld vital microscopy (HVM) before, during, and 2 weeks after surgical VVF repair.

Participants

Seventeen women undergoing VVF repair were included in this study.

Setting

The study was conducted in the Fistula Care Centre in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Methods

We used HVM with incident dark-field imaging to non-invasively visualize the microvasculature of the vaginal tissue surrounding fistulas. The primary outcome was the presence of microvascul

SUBMITTER: Maljaars LP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10658999 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature