From June 1989 to August 1990, 21 women with genuine stress urinary incontinence were treated with the Gittes procedure combined with transrectal ultrasonography. The urethrovesical junction was well pinpointed on an ultrasonographic image. The strength of suspension providing the optimal posterior urethrovesical angle was changed by each patient. Posterior urethrovesical angles averaged 89.3 +/- 9.5 degrees at operation and 93.6 +/- 9.5 degrees (mean +/- standard deviation) on a postoperative lateral cystourethrogram with the patient straining while in the standing position. An indwelling urethral catheter was removed on postoperative day 1. None of the patients had residual urine of more than 50 ml. by 4 days postoperatively. Furthermore, the average maximum urinary flow rates significantly increased from 21.0 +/- 7.1 ml. per second preoperatively to 26.1 +/- 9.8 ml. per second postoperatively (p less than 0.01). Therefore, application of ultrasonography during bladder neck suspension is simple and reliable for determination of the optimal suspension as well as identification of the suspension site.