Clinical usefulness of the transobturator sub-urethral tape in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence in female patients with spinal cord lesion

Objectives

To evaluate the clinical usefulness of transobturator sub-urethral tapes for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women with spinal cord injury.

Method and subjects

Chart review for all female patients with spinal cord injury who underwent implantation of a transobturator sub-urethral tape for treatment of stress urinary incontinence at our institution.

Results

Nine women, median age 45.1 years, received a sub-urethral transobturator tape in the period November 2007 to September 2010. Four patients had paraplegia and five had tetraplegia. Seven women performed intermittent catheterization. At follow up, three of the nine patients were either cured or vastly improved. One major late complication (urethral erosion) occurred. Five of the six patients without treatment success underwent second-line treatment (artificial sphincter or urinary diversion).

Conclusion

In our case series, implantation of transobturator sub-urethral tapes in women with stress urinary continence due to intrinsic sphincter deficiency and a low leak point pressure led to unfavorable results.