Objective: To investigate the change of the female patients' sexual function after tension free vaginal tape (TVT) or transobturator suburethral tape (TVT-O) surgery for stress urinary incontinence (SUI).
Methods: Female sexual function index (FSFI) was sent to 66 female patients who underwent a TVT/TVT-O surgery at least 3 months after the operation, to a maximum of 5 years. All The patients were divided into two groups according to different surgical methods, different follow-up intervals (more than or less than 1 year) and whether there was concomitant coital incontinence (CCI) before the operation. The changes of FSFI scores before and after the operation were compared between the two groups by multiple covariances analysis. The total score was higher, and the sexual function was better.
Results: In the study, 60 patients answered the questionnaire, and 51 questionnaires were available. Before surgery, there were no significant difference between TVT and TVT-O groups in FSFI, age, body mass index (BMI). As to patients who had TVT/TVT-O surgery, when the influence of the postoperative period and symptoms accompanying intercourse were corrected, the two groups had no significant difference in difference of FSFI (dFSFI) scores after operation (F = 2.52, P = 0.119), and they had similar sexual function improvement ratio (40.0% vs. 44.4%, P > 0.05). But to the patients who had concomitant coital incontinence before the operations, the dFSFI scores was higher than patients who did not have concomitant coital incontinence (1.86 ± 1.95 vs. -0.09 ± 2.24, P < 0.05).
Conclusion: TVT and TVT-O surgery have no significant difference in influence on sexual function in women between each other, but the patients who suffer from CCI before the surgery will have a better sexual function improvement.