Follow-up of Women After Obstetric Fistula Repair in Guinea: Recurrence of Fistula, Reproductive Health and Quality of Life.

Obstetric fistula (OF) is a serious chronic maternal morbidity. In Guinea where the maternal mortality ratio is among the highest in the world, the prevalence of OF is not known but 3,000 women were repaired the last six years. The objective of this research project is to study the recurrence of fistula, reproductive health outcomes and quality of life (QoL) of women after fistula repair in Guinea. This will be a cohort study on 364 women with closed1 fistula at hospital discharge after repair at three sites supported by the Fistula Prevention and Repair (FPR) Project in Guinea. Two aspects will be explored: a) Maximum documentation regarding the history of occurrence of the fistula - from interview of the mother-; b) During an 18 to 33 month follow-up, study the following outcomes: fistula recurrence (breakdown of repaired fistula or new fistula), pregnancy and its outcomes, and quality of life score (measured by the WHO BREF questionnaire). Risk factors of fistula recurrence and poor quality of life along with factors associated with pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes (maternal and perinatal) post-repair will be studied. This study will globally pinpoint determinants and make recommendations relevant to the Guinean context and contribute to improving prevention, care and reintegration of women suffering from fistula in developing countries.