Do patients prefer mesh or anterior colporrhaphy for primary correction of anterior vaginal wall prolapse: a labelled discrete choice experiment

Objective We investigated patients’ preferences for anterior colporrhaphy or mesh surgery as surgical correction of anterior vaginal wall prolapse. Design Labelled discrete choice experiment. Setting Three Dutch teaching hospitals. Population Women with anterior vaginal wall prolapse Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification stage 2 or more, indicated for anterior colporrhaphy (n = 100). Methods Discrete choice experiments are an attribute‐based survey method for measuring preferences. In this experiment, women were asked to choose between two treatment scenarios, mesh surgery or anterior colporrhaphy. These surgical treatments differed in four treatment attributes: (i) recurrence rate, (ii) exposure rate, (iii) infection rate, (iv) dyspareunia. Data were analysed using a multinomial logit model. Main outcome measures Women's preferences for anterior colporrhaphy or mesh surgery for the repair of vaginal wall prolapse. Results All treatment attributes, i.e. recurrence, exposure, infection and dyspareunia, proved to be significant in the woman's decision to choose mesh surgery (P