Introduction: This study summarized our experience in the treatment of 1,081 women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) using mid-urethral slings.
Material and methods: The study included 1,081 operated patients. Pure SUI was diagnosed in 77.80% (841) of the patients; another 18.68% (202) had mixed symptoms. The remaining 3.52% (38) suffered from recurrent SUI. Group 1 included the SUI patients treated with TVT. Group 2 - SUI managed with TVT-O. In Group 3, mixed urinary incontinent (MUI) patients were treated with TVT-O.
Results: Retropubic TVT was used in 273 patients (25.25%) and TVT-O in 740 (68.45%). Other slings were used in 68 patients (6.3%). Mean follow-up for the groups was 50.1, 31.1, and 32.6 months respectively. For objective evaluation of cure rate we used the cough stress test. Subjective efficacy was studied via a visual analog scale. The complication rate in each group of the patients was used as a secondary end point. A negative cough test was found in 85.58% of patients in Group 1. For the TVT-O group, the objective cure rate was 84.36%. Intra-operative complications for TVT and TVT-O were not related to age, BMI, or parity. Bladder perforation and pelvic hematoma developed more frequently in the TVT group. There is a higher risk of vaginal perforation for TVT-O. The objective and subjective cure rates for MUI patients were 86.15% and 87.69% respectively.
Conclusions: TVT and TVT-O are equally effective and safe methods of treatment for women suffering from SUI and MUI.
Keywords: TVT; TVT-O; stress urinary incontinence; tension-free tape.