Maternal and neonatal consequences of cystocele and rectocele in the delivery process

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the effects of cystocele and rectocele on the stages of vaginal birth and maternal and newborn outcomes. A total of 672 multiparous pregnant women between the ages of 18 to 40 who underwent normal vaginal delivery in our tertiary center between November 2022 and February 2023, were included in this prospective study. Among the participants, 348 (51.8%) had no abnormalities, 78 (11.6%) had rectocele only, 112 (16.7%) had cystocele only, and 134 (19.9) had both cystocele and rectocele. Patients with the coexistence of cystocele and rectocele experienced a notably extended duration for both the first stage and second stage of labor, although the extension in the second stage was not statistically significant. Among the maternal complications, the development of maternal laceration and chorioamnionitis was significantly more common in the patient group with cystocele and rectocele compared to the other groups. When the groups were assessed for postpartum bleeding, while the bleeding risk increased from the normal group to the rectocele + cystocele group, this increase was not statistically significant. There was no difference between the groups in terms of neonatal outcomes. The delivery time of pregnant women with cystocele and rectocele, in the absence of additional risk factors, was determined to be significantly longer than that of the control group. We think that these patients should receive more vigilant monitoring, and this criterion should be kept in mind when assessing the indication for a cesarean section.