Unsuccessful burch colposuspension: Analysis of risk factors

Seventy-five patients who underwent a Burch colposuspension were evaluated urodynamically before and after the surgical procedure. The women were divided into two groups, one with a urethral closure pressure of 30 cm H₂O or lower and one with a pressure over 30 cm H₂O. The two groups were comparable for age, parity, and weight. Significant differences were found between the two groups for both functional lengths and urethral closure pressure (P<0.005). The difference in the failure rate between the low urethral closure pressure group (21.2%) and the normal urethral pressure group (9.5%) was not statistically significant. On the other hand, the menopause is a condition which increases the surgical failure rate (26.6% versus 6.6%) (P<0.025).