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Study examines impacts of long-term parasitic bladder infection on vesicovaginal fistula repair in Angola
A first-of-its-kind study led by researchers from McMaster University investigated the impact of chronic schistosomiasis, a long-term parasitic bladder infection, on the outcomes of surgery for a common, severe, and preventable childbirth injury in Angola.
The injury, called vesicovaginal fistula (VVF), is a hole between the bladder and the vagina, resulting in continuous urine leakage. The most common cause of VVF in Angola and much of sub-Saharan Africa is obstructed labor—in other words, being in labor for three or more days without access to definitive delivery (usually Cesarean section).
The study, published in the journal Reproductive, Female and Child Health, found having schistosomiasis didn't affect the success rate of the fistula repair surgery and that the failure rate of the surgery was similar for women with and without the infection.
This adds to the dearth of literature in the area: This is the first study assessing the association between schistosomiasis and obstetric fistula repair in Angola and is the second study on fistula care in the country.
More information: Esther A. Chin et al, Chronic schistosomiasis infection and obstetric fistula repair outcomes in Lubango, Angola: A retrospective chart review, Reproductive, Female and Child Health (2024). DOI: 10.1002/rfc2.83
