Background Female genital fistulas are abnormal communications that lead to urinary and/or fecal incontinence. This analysis compares the characteristics of women with fistulas to understand how... Show moreBackground Female genital fistulas are abnormal communications that lead to urinary and/or fecal incontinence. This analysis compares the characteristics of women with fistulas to understand how countries differ from one another in the circumstances of genital fistula development. Methods This retrospective records review evaluated demographics and circumstances of fistula development for 6,787 women who sought fistula treatment between 1994 and 2017 in Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Zambia, and Ethiopia. Results Most women developed fistula during childbirth, whether vaginal (3,234/6,787, 47.6%) or by cesarean section (3,262/6,787, 48.1%). Others had fistulas attributable to gynecological surgery (215/6,787, 3.2%) or rare causes (76/6,787, 1.1%). Somalia, South Sudan, and Ethiopia had comparatively high proportions following vaginal birth and birth at home, where access to care was extremely difficult. Fistulas with live births were most common in Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia, indicating more easily accessible care. Conclusions Characteristics of women who develop genital fistula point to geographic differences in obstetric care. Access to care remains a clear challenge in South Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia. Higher proportions of fistula after cesarean birth and gynecological surgery in Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, and Zambia signal potential progress in obstetric fistula prevention while compelling attention to surgical safety and quality of care. Show less
Ngongo, C.J.; Raassen, T.J.I.P.; Mahendeka, M.; Lombard, L.; Roosmalen, J. van 2022
Background Genito-urinary fistulas may occur as complications of obstetric surgery. Location and circumstances can indicate iatrogenic origin as opposed to pressure necrosis following prolonged,... Show moreBackground Genito-urinary fistulas may occur as complications of obstetric surgery. Location and circumstances can indicate iatrogenic origin as opposed to pressure necrosis following prolonged, obstructed labor. Methods This retrospective review focuses on 787 women with iatrogenic genito-urinary fistulas among 2942 women who developed fistulas after cesarean birth between 1994 and 2017. They are a subset of 5469 women who sought obstetric fistula repair between 1994 and 2017 in Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Zambia, and Ethiopia. We compared genito-urinary fistula classifications following vaginal birth to classifications following cesarean birth. We assessed whether and how the proportion of iatrogenic genito-urinary fistula was changing over time among women with fistula, comparing women with iatrogenic fistulas to women with fistulas attributable to pressure necrosis. We used mixed effects logistic regression to model the rise in iatrogenic fistula among births resulting in fistula and specifically among cesarean births resulting in fistula. Results Over one-quarter of women with fistula following cesarean birth (26.8%, 787/2942) had an injury caused by surgery rather than pressure necrosis due to prolonged, obstructed labor. Controlling for age, parity, and previous abdominal surgery, the odds of iatrogenic origin nearly doubled over time among all births resulting in fistula (aOR 1.94; 95% CI 1.48-2.54) and rose by 37% among cesarean births resulting in fistula (aOR 1.37; 95% CI 1.02-1.83). In Kenya and Rwanda the rise of iatrogenic injury outpaced the increasing frequency of cesarean birth. Conclusions Despite the strong association between obstetric fistula and prolonged, obstructed labor, more than a quarter of women with fistula after cesarean birth had injuries due to surgical complications rather than pressure necrosis. Risks of iatrogenic fistula during cesarean birth reinforce the importance of appropriate labor management and cesarean decision-making. Rising numbers of iatrogenic fistulas signal a quality crisis in emergency obstetric care. Unaddressed, the impact of this problem will grow as cesarean births become more common. Show less
