Tension-free vaginal tape-obturator in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence: a prospective study with five-year follow-up

Objectives

To evaluate the medium-term outcomes of using tension-free vaginal tape-obturator (TVT-O) in the treatment of patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

Study design

Between December 2004 and November 2005, 103 patients with SUI were enroled and treated with TVT-O with inside-out modification. A minimum five-year follow-up (median, 65 months) was obtained from 100 patients (99.6%). Preoperative and postoperative evaluations were performed for all patients. The objective success rate of the TVT-O procedure was evaluated by a negative stress test. The secondary outcomes measured included one- and five-year subjective success rates, together with the pre- and post-operative urodynamic parameters, complications, quality of life (QOL) analysis, and patient satisfaction.

Results

Among the 103 patients, 18 (17.4%) had postoperative voiding difficulties and needed urethral bladder catheterization for various periods. After the TVT-O procedure, complete disappearance of SUI occurred in 87.4% of patients, while improvement was found in about 92%. In addition, there was no difference in the cure rate between year 1 and year 5 after the procedure (P > 0.05). In 90 patients, frequency and urge symptoms were significantly improved five years after the procedure (P < 0.005), and maximal flow rates were decreased (P < 0.05). However, the severity of obstructive symptoms and postvoid residual volumes at five years were not improved compared with one year after the procedure (P = 0.10 and P = 0.33 respectively). Finally, compared to pre-operation, incontinence severity degree and QOL scale scores were largely improved after the operation (P < 0.001), while no difference was found between years 1 and 5 (P = 0.11and P = 0.09 respectively).

Conclusions

Our result shows that the TVT-obturator, a novel mid-urethral sling, is a safe and effective procedure for the treatment of female SUI. Medium-term therapeutic results appear promising but further evaluation of long-term therapeutic outcomes is needed.