Purpose: We evaluated the long-term outcomes of the tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) procedure for the treatment of female urinary incontinence (UI).
Materials and methods: We included 141 patients who underwent the TVT procedure for UI and responded to a questionnaire at the 6-year follow-up. The questionnaire included selected questions of the Korean version of the Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptom (BFLUTS) questionnaire and questions on patients' satisfaction with the procedure. Subjects were characterized as having been cured if they answered 'never' to the questions about any episodes of urine leakage.
Results: The mean follow-up was 85.5 months. The overall long-term cure rate for UI was 83.0% with a satisfaction rate of 80.1%, whereas the 1-year cure rate was 93.4%. The 1-year vs. 6-year cure rates in patients with urodynamic stress UI (SUI group; n=107) and with mixed UI (MUI group; n=34) were 94.1% vs. 84.1% and 89.8% vs. 79.4%, respectively, with no significant difference between the two groups. Also, long-term satisfaction rates in the SUI and MUI groups were 83.2% and 70.6%, without a significant difference between the two. In the MUI group, the 1-year and 6-year cure rates of urgency UI were 81.9% and 58.8%, respectively. There were no serious long-term complications related to the procedure. Most patients (85.9%) would likely recommend the TVT procedure to others.
Conclusions: After 6 years of follow-up, the TVT procedure showed a somewhat decreased cure rate for the treatment of female UI. However, most patients were satisfied with the procedure.
Keywords: Female; Stress urinary incontinence; Suburethral slings; Urinary incontinence.