What is sacrospinous fixation?

A sacrospinous fixation involves supporting the vaginal vault using stitches to fix it to a strong ligament inside the pelvis. The operation is performed through the vagina and is often performed at the same time as other prolapse operations such as vaginal hysterectomy, anterior and posterior repair.

What is the function of the sacrospinous ligament?

Function. The sacrospinous and sacrotuberous ligaments assist in pelvic stability. The ligament works with the sacrotuberous ligament to prevent rotation of the illum past the sacrum thus preventing excessive twisting of the pelvis, low back pain, and SIJ strain.

How is sacrospinous ligament fixation performed?

How is the surgery performed? At Northwestern Medicine, your urogynecologist will perform the sacrospinous ligament suspension through an incision in the vagina. Either permanent and/or slowly dissolving stitches are placed into the sacrospinous ligament and then through the top of the vagina.

Is there a decrease in use of sacrospinous fixation?

There has been a trend towards increased use of synthetic meshes and abdominal procedures with decreased use of sacrospinous fixation (SSF). A Medline search was performed for the MeSH terms ‘sacrospinous ligament’, ‘sacrospinous fixation’, ‘sacrospinous ligament suspension’ and ‘sacrospinous colpopexy’.

Can a sacrospinous fixation cause buttock pain?

The following complications are more specific to sacrospinous fixation/ileococcygeus suspension: Approximately 1 in 10 women who have a sacrospinous fixation will get pain in their buttock for the first few weeks after surgery. This will get better by itself and you will be given pain killers to help.

How does the sacrotuberous ligament affect the pudendal nerve?

Pudendal nerve entrapment between the sacrotuberous and sacrospinous ligaments can result in pudendal nerve neuralgia.

Is it possible to fix uterus to sacrospinous ligament?

Studies on bilateral SSF and fixing uterus to the sacrospinous ligament, use of concomitant anti-incontinence procedures along with SSF were not included in this review. Sacrospinous vaginal fixation provides good long-term objective and subjective outcomes and improves quality of life of women with pelvic organ prolapse.