Ultrasonic prediction of stress urinary incontinence development in surgery for severe pelvic relaxation.

Forty-six patients with a third-degree cystocele with no complaints of genuine stress urinary incontinence underwent complete urodynamic evaluation including ultrasonic evaluation before and 3 months postoperatively. Ultrasound examination was able to predict in 46 patients those requiring urethropexy surgery for support of their bladder base (n = 22). The 24 patients with good bladder base support by ultrasound did not develop genuine stress urinary incontinence. The use of ultrasound in women with third-degree cystocele appears to predict which patients will require urethropexy surgery in addition to their cystocele repair.