Purpose: The objective of this study is to evaluate the safety of local anaesthesia by pudendal nerve block (PNB) for insertion of TVT or TOT suburethral tape for the treatment of female urinary incontinence.
Material and method: PNB is performed by bilateral injection between the anus and ischium. The pudendal nerve, detected by electrostimulation, is anaesthetised by a solution of Naropeine and Carbocaine. Anaesthesia is systematically completed by abdominogenital and genitofemoral nerve blocks and by deep infiltration in the vagina. Perioperative and postoperative pain was assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS).
Results: Nine patients were treated by suburethral tape under PNB between November 2002 and January 2003. The mean age was 65.5 years (range: 46 to 87 years). TVT was used in 6 cases and TOT was used in 3 cases. PNB was well tolerated by the patient in 66% of cases. Eight patients (88%) did not experience any pain during the operation. The majority of patients (88%) were very satisfied with the anaesthesia. One patient experienced residual pain for 3 weeks. The technique is easy to perform by the anaesthetist and did not modify the surgical technique. This technique is relatively inexpensive.
Conclusion: This preliminary study on a limited number of cases shows that PNB appears to be a good alternative to the usual anaesthesia techniques for insertion of suburethral tape.