BACKGROUND:

Pelvic organ prolapse is a frequent alteration in postmenopausal and multiparous women. Hydronephrosis is an important complication of urogenital prolapse.

OBJECTIVE:

To determine the prevalence of hydronephrosis in women with advanced pelvic organ prolapse.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

An observational, descriptive, longitudinal study was conducted on women with grade III and IV pelvic organ prolapse that had kidney ultrasound study to detect hydronephrosis and were then programmed for surgical treatment to correct the urogenital prolapse. The preoperative and postoperative concentrations of serum creatinine, serum urea, and serum blood urea nitrogen were determined to evaluate hydronephrosis cure. The Student’s t test and Fisher’s exact test were employed for the statistical analysis and statistical significance was set at a p < 0.05.

RESULTS:

Forty patients were registered. The prevalence of hydronephrosis was 22.5%. Postmenopausal, multipara women with obesity had greater risk for pelvic organ prolapse. Hydronephrosis disappeared completely after surgical treatment in 77.7% of the cases.

CONCLUSIONS:

The correction of advanced pelvic organ prolapse through surgical intervention is an effective strategy in patients with hydronephrosis. Kidney ultrasound is a useful method for diagnosing hydronephrosis caused by pelvic organ prolapse and performing its opportune treatment.