Prevalence and Characteristics of Late Postoperative Voiding Dysfunction in Early-Stage Cervical Cancer Patients Treated with Radical Hysterectomy

Background: Although effective as a primary treatment for early-stage cervical cancer, radical hysterectomyis associated with significant long-term morbidities, most commonly, voiding dysfunction.
Objective: To examineprevalence and characteristics of voiding dysfunction following radical hysterectomy for early-stage cervicalcancer.
Methods: One hundred-eighty seven patients with FIGO stage IA2-IIA cervical cancer who underwentclass II-III radical hysterectomy with systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy between January 1, 2002 and June31, 2005 were interviewed with questionnaire on voiding function. Medical records were also reviewed foroperative and pathologic data.
Results: The prevalence of symptomatic bladder dysfunction was 25.1%. Therewas no statistically significant association between rates of bladder dysfunction and all examined clinical/operativefactors. The most common pattern of bladder dysfunction were incomplete emptying in 25 (13.4%) and urgencyand nocturia in 21 (11.2%) each.
Conclusion: Voiding dysfunction is a common and clinically significant longtermcomplication following radical hysterectomy. The pattern of dysfunction reflects combined surgicaldisruption of both parasympathetic and sympathetic innervations of the pelvis.