Novel technique of laparoscopic mid-urethral autologous rectus fascial sling for stress urinary incontinence.

Serious concerns have been raised over the safety of vaginal mesh tapes for stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Autologous rectus fascial sling and the more recent 'sling on a string' through a laparotomy are gaining popularity as native tissue options for SUI. We describe a novel technique of laparoscopic mid-urethral autologous rectus fascial sling for SUI. Ten patients underwent this new technique safely. At 12 months, all patients reported cure of SUI with normal voiding. The advantages of this technique include the minimal access approach, introduction of the sutures under laparoscopic guidance, and avoidance of over-tightening of the sling.

Randomized Trial of Single-incision Midurethral Sling and Laparoscopic Burch Colposuspension: Postoperative Surgical Outcomes and Complications.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Various retropubic and midurethral sling techniques have shown high cure rates in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). This study aimed to compare single-incision midurethral sling (SIMS) and laparoscopic Burch colposuspension (LBC) procedures in patients with SUI in terms of the effectiveness, patient satisfaction, surgical complications and results. DESIGN: This is a prospective randomized study. SETTING: A university tertiary hospital. PATIENTS: Forty patients with clinically and/or urodynamically proven SUI who agreed to surgical treatment were randomized to the SIMS and LBC groups and included in the study. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were treated with SIMS and LBC operations. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Demographic characteristics of patients, physical and pelvic examination, preoperative and postoperative clinical findings, Kings Health Questionnaire form, Female Sexual Function Index and Prolapse Quality of Life Questionnaire form, postoperative day 1 visual analog scale score, and postoperative complications were recorded. Objective and subjective success rates were recorded by re-evaluating the patients in the first and sixth months of the operation. Objective success was defined as having a negative stress test and subjective success was defined as the absence of stress-induced urine leakage after surgery in a validated questionnaire. The primary result of our study was considered to be objective success, whereas the secondary result was subjective success and life quality tests. Twenty patients each in the SIMS group and the LBC group were included in the study. No significant difference was found in objective success (90% vs 85%, p = .633) or subjective success (85% vs 75%, p = .695) between the 2 groups at 6-month follow-up. A significant improvement in life quality was observed in the postoperative period for both groups; however, the difference between the groups was not significant. There was an improvement in sexual function in both groups. Nonetheless, although this improvement was significant in the SIMS group, it was not significant in the LBC group. In addition, surgery time, catheterization time, and hospitalization time were shorter in the SIMS group than in the LBC group. The visual analog scale score on postoperative day 1 was lower in the SIMS group. Groups were not different in terms of preoperative and postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: This preliminary study is the first randomized study that compares the LBC and SIMS procedures in the literature. It shows that SIMS and LBC procedures have not different objective and subjective success rates in the short term. It was also observed that they increase both sexual and life quality results in a positive and similar way.

Robotic Burch colposuspension: anatomical and technical considerations.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Up to 13.6% of women will undergo surgical treatment for stress urinary incontinence during their lifetime. Midurethral slings are the mainstay of stress incontinence treatment; however, diversity of surgical options is needed to serve the large number of patients desiring treatment. The Burch colposuspension remains a viable treatment option for appropriately selected patients. Currently, information on procedural standardization and tools for surgical training on robot-assisted colposuspension is limited. METHODS: We describe a stepwise robotic approach aimed at enhancing procedural reproducibility, while decreasing risks of intraoperative injury and postoperative complications. We analyze perioperative outcomes of our technique in a retrospective cohort of patients who underwent robot-assisted colposuspension at our institution. RESULTS: Seven key procedural steps are defined to optimize safe dissection in the retropubic space and to reduce the potential for surgical complications. These include methods of avoiding bladder, urethral, and neurovascular injury, as well as enhancing adequate suture fixation that prevents urethral obstruction and adverse postoperative urinary and pain-related symptoms. Surgical outcomes for 20 patients are reported and reveal low rates of perioperative complications. CONCLUSION: Robot-assisted colposuspension requires thorough knowledge of the retropubic space and the application of standardized techniques may reduce the risk of injury and optimize procedure efficiency and reproducibility.

Anatomical and functional outcomes after bilateral sacrospinous colposuspension (BSC) for the treatment of female genital prolapse.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic organ prolapse is a bothersome condition affecting many women at advanced age, but also frequently observed in young women with certain risk factors. Various surgical techniques have been developed with the aim of providing effective surgical treatment for apical prolapse. The vaginal bilateral sacrospinous colposuspension surgery (BSC) with ultralight mesh and utilization of the i- stich is a relatively new minimal invasive technique with very promising outcomes. The technique offers apical suspension, in the presence or absence of the uterus. The objective of this study is to evaluate the anatomical and functional outcomes of bilateral sacrospinous colposuspension with ultralight mesh in 30 Patients treated with the vaginal single incision standardized technique. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 30 patients were treated by BSC for significant vaginal, uterovaginal or cervical prolapse. A simultaneous anterior colporrhaphy, posterior colporrhaphy or both were performed when indicated. Anatomical and functional outcomes were assessed 1 year postoperatively using the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification system (POP-Q) and the standardised Prolapse Quality of Life (P-QOL) questionnair. RESULTS: The POP-Q parameters were significantly improved at twelve months after surgery compared to baseline. The total score and all four subdomains of the P-QOL-questionnaire showed positive trends and improvement at twelve months after surgery when compared to preoperative values. All patients were asymptomatic and expressed high satisfaction one year after surgery. No intraoperative adverse events were recorded for all patients. Only minimal postoperative complications were recorded and they all resolved completely with conservative management. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the functional and anatomical outcomes of the minimally invasive vaginal bilateral sacrospinal colposuspension with ultralight mesh for the management of apical prolapse. The one year postoperative results of the proposed procedure reflect excellent outcomes with minimal complications. The data published here are very promising and warrant further investigations and more studies to evaluate the long-term outcomes of BSC in the surgical management of apical defects. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee at the University Hospital of Cologne, Germany (Date of registration: 08.02.2022) (Registration number: 21-1494-retro) (retrospectively registered).

Impact of the availability of midurethral slings on treatment strategies for stress urinary incontinence: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a cost-effectiveness analysis for the surgical and non-surgical management of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) with and without the availability of midurethral sling. DESIGN: Cost-effectiveness analysis. SETTING: USA, 2019. POPULATION: Women with stress urinary incontinence. METHODS: We modelled SUI treatment pathways with and without the availability of midurethral slings, including no treatment, incontinence pessary, pelvic floor muscle physical therapy, urethral bulking injection, open and laparoscopic Burch colposuspension, and pubovaginal autologous sling. Time horizon was 2 years after initial treatment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Costs (2019 US$) included index surgery, surgical retreatment, and complications including urinary retention, de novo urgency and mesh exposure. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated for non-dominated treatment strategies. RESULTS: The least costly treatment strategies were incontinence pessary, pelvic floor physical therapy, no treatment and midurethral sling, respectively. Midurethral slings had the highest effectiveness. The strategy with the lowest effectiveness was no treatment. The three cost-effective strategies included pessary, pelvic floor muscle physical therapy and midurethral slings. No other surgical options were cost-effective. If midurethral slings were not available, all other surgical options were still dominated by pelvic floor muscle physical therapy. Multiple one-way sensitivity analyses confirmed model robustness. The only reasonable threshold in which outcomes would change, was if urethral bulking costs decreased 12.6%. CONCLUSIONS: The midurethral sling is the most effective SUI treatment and the only cost-effective surgical option. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Midurethral sling is the only cost-effective surgical treatment option for stress urinary incontinence.

Impact of a mid-urethral synthetic mesh sling on long-term risk of systemic conditions in women with stress urinary incontinence: a national cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the incidence of systemic conditions between women who had surgical treatment for stress incontinence with mesh and without mesh. DESIGN: National cohort study. SETTING: English National Health Service. POPULATION: Women with no previous record of systemic disease who had first-time urinary incontinence surgery between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2013, followed up to the earliest of 10 years or 31 March 2019. METHODS: Competing-risks regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR), adjusted for patient characteristics, with HR > 1 indicating increased incidence following mesh surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: First postoperative admission with a record of autoimmune disease, fibromyalgia or myalgic encephalomyelitis up to 10 years following the first incontinence procedure. RESULTS: The cohort included 88 947 women who had mesh surgery and 3389 women who had non-mesh surgery. Both treatment groups were similar with respect to age, socio-economic deprivation, comorbidity and ethnicity. The 10-year cumulative incidence of autoimmune disease, fibromyalgia or myalgic encephalomyelitis was 8.1% (95% CI 7.9-8.3%) in the mesh group and 9.0% (95% CI 8.0-10.1%) in the non-mesh group (adjusted HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.79-1.01; P = 0.07). A sensitivity analysis including only autoimmune diseases as an outcome returned a similar result. CONCLUSIONS: These findings do not support claims that synthetic mesh slings cause systemic disease. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: No evidence of increased risk of systemic conditions after stress incontinence treatment with a mesh sling.

Prevalence and surgical outcomes of stage 3 and 4 pelvic organs prolapse in Jimma university medical center, south west Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) affects about half of the women and affects their quality of life. The current study is, therefore, aimed at determining the prevalence and surgical outcomes of severe stage POP at Jimma University medical center from November 2016 to May 2018. METHOD: A Hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on all patients with stage 3 and 4 POP, who were admitted, and had surgery. Data were collected from the patient's chart, and logbooks, which were filled up from entry till her discharge. A Simplified POPQ(S-POPQ) was used to stage the prolapse at admission, at discharge, and three months follow-ups. RESULTS: Among 92 patients who were analyzed, POP accounts for 10.6% of all gynecologic admissions, and 43.8% of all gynecologic surgeries. The mean age of patients is 46 (± 12) years, and nearly 34% of the patients had stage 3 and 66% had stage 4 POP. Based on the type of prolapse, 93.5% of patients had stage 3 and more anterior vaginal wall prolapse (AVWP) and apical prolapse, while 57.6% had stage 3 or more posterior vaginal wall prolapse. Out of 72 patients who had anterior colporrhaphy, 58.7% had anterior colporrhaphy with colposuspension. Out of 83 patients who had apical suspension, 48.2%, 39.8%, and 12% had uterosacral, sacrospinous, and Richardson respectively. Ninety-seven patients had stage 0 or 1 POP at discharge while 90% of 20 patients who returned for follow-up at three months had stage 0 or 1 POP. Eight patients had surgery-related complications; bladder injury, urinary retention, Hemorrhage during SSLF, and rectal injury. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse is high and the majority of patients presented with advanced-stage pelvic organ prolapse, with a long duration of symptoms and associated problems. The surgical techniques used have resulted in a high immediate success rate of 97% and 90% at discharge and three months follow up respectively. Therefore, awareness creation activities are important to facilitate an early presentation for treatment to improve the quality of life and the current surgical technique; native tissue vaginal repair (NTVR), being practiced in the setup has had better success.

Long-term effectiveness and safety of open Burch colposuspension vs retropubic midurethral sling for stress urinary incontinence-results from a large comparative study.

BACKGROUND: There are few adequately powered long-term trials comparing midurethral sling and Burch colposuspension. Recent concerns about synthetic mesh with new stringent clinical and research governance support the need for evidence to facilitate shared decision making. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare long-term outcomes of open Burch colposuspension with the retropubic midurethral sling. STUDY DESIGN: A matched cohort study of 1344 women with urodynamic stress incontinence (without intrinsic sphincter deficiency) who underwent surgery for stress urinary incontinence. Women had either open Burch colposuspension or the retropubic midurethral sling, from January 2000 to June 2018, in a tertiary center. Follow-up was by chart review and one-time phone follow-up until 2019, using a dedicated database. Primary outcomes were the presence or absence of stress urinary incontinence on follow-up, the success of index surgery based on response to validated questionnaires of patient-reported outcomes, and retreatment rates. Secondary outcomes are described below. Matching (1:3) was done at baseline to avoid confounding. RESULTS: The study included 1344 women who had either Burch colposuspension (336) or retropubic midurethral sling (1008). Mean follow-up was 13.1 years for Burch colposuspension and 10.1 years for retropubic midurethral sling. In the Burch colposuspension group, 83.0% of patients (279 of 336) reported no ongoing stress urinary incontinence at the time of the latest follow-up vs 85.0% (857 of 1008) in the retropubic midurethral sling group (P=.38). Success in terms of the latest reported International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (defined as International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form score of ≤6) where these data were available were similar within both groups: 76.0% (158 of 208 where this was available) in Burch colposuspension vs 72.1% (437 of 606 where this was available) in retropubic midurethral sling (P=.32). Where this information was available, success defined by a Patient Global Impression of Improvement of "very much improved" and "much improved" was similar between Burch colposuspension and retropubic midurethral sling groups (84.1% [243 of 289] vs 82.0% [651 of 794]; P=.88). Where data were available, 88.1% of women (178 of 202) in the Burch colposuspension group said they were very likely to recommend the surgery to family or a friend vs 85.0% (580 of 682) in retropubic midurethral sling (P=.30).Overall, 3.6% needed repeat incontinence procedures (13 in Burch colposuspension group [3.8%] vs 35 in retropubic midurethral sling group [3.5%]; P=.73). The incidence of mesh exposure was 1.0 %. Notably, 1 Burch colposuspension patient had a suture in the bladder during follow-up; 5 patients have reported long-standing pain across the study population. Overall, 51 women reported new-onset overactive bladder symptoms on follow-up: 10 of 336 (3.0%) had Burch colposuspension and 41 of 1008 (4.1%) had retropubic midurethral sling (P=.41). The need for future prolapse surgery per index procedure was 3.3% after Burch colposuspension vs 1.1% postretropubic midurethral sling (P=.01). Moreover, 9 of the 11 patients who needed a prolapse repair after Burch colposuspension required a posterior repair. The incidence of long-term severe voiding difficulty needing self-catheterization was similar in both groups (0.3% in Burch colposuspension and 0.5 % in retropubic midurethral sling group; P=1.00). CONCLUSION: This study shows no difference in success, patient satisfaction, or complications between Burch colposuspension and retropubic midurethral sling, although the risk of posterior compartment prolapse operations after Burch colposuspension is increased. Reoperation rates for incontinence were similar in both groups. Chronic pain was a rare outcome.

Laparoscopic approaches to the retropubic space: three alternatives with anatomical considerations.

INTRODUCTION: Many urogynecological and surgical laparoscopic interventions require access to the retropubic space, also known as the space of Retzius. Especially in patients with a history of previous surgery in this area or in general in the lower abdomen, the preparation may be complicated by adhesions and scar tissue. The necessity to combine several laparoscopic procedures in one surgical session may require consideration of the most appropriate way to approach the retropubic space. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We describe and discuss three different options to access the space of Retzius via laparoscopy: the medial transperitoneal, the extraperitoneal and the lateral transperitoneal approach. For all approaches, we used one umbilical trocar and two trocars in the lower abdomen. RESULTS: An algorithm was developed to select the most appropriate access route to the retropubic space, depending on the history of previous surgeries and accompanying interventions. CONCLUSION: The knowledge of different access routes to the retropubic space offers the possibility of adjusting the surgical procedure to the individual constellation of the patient.

The practice of Burch Colposuspension versus Mid Urethral Slings for the treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence in developing country.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the effectiveness and complications of Burch colposuspension and Mid Urethral Slings (MUS) for the treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI). METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 162 patients who underwent surgery for SUI with Burch colposuspension (n=40), tension free vaginal tape (TVT) (n= 59) or transobturator tape (TOT) (n=63), from 2006 to 2014 at the Aga Khan University Hospital- Karachi. All three groups were assessed in terms of demographics, cure rates, intraoperative and postoperative complications at one and five years using incontinence impact questionnaire-short form-7 (IIQ-7) and urogenital distress inventory -short form-6 (UDI-6). RESULTS: Mean age of the participants in Burch, TVT and TOT group was 44.1 ± 7.4, 48.3 ± 8.9, 53.0 ± 9.4 respectively. Majority of patients in TVT group were premenopausal (59.3%) and postmenopausal in TOT group (53.9%). Most abdominal hysterectomies were done in Burch group (40) while vaginal hysterectomies and anterior and posterior colporrhaphy in TOT group (55). All the procedures had both subjective and objective cure rate of more than 82% at one year, with TVT having the highest success rate of 96.61%. The objective cure rate in Burch, TVT and TOT group at five years was 74.19%, 90.30% and 81.25% respectively. Intraoperative complications included hemorrhage in one patient during Burch procedure and bladder perforation in two cases of TVT, with no significant difference in short or long-term complications with either procedure. CONCLUSIONS: All the three procedures have equal efficacy and complication rates. Even though TVT is the new gold standard but in view of current debate regarding mesh related complications, there is a need to readdress Burch colposuspension for treatment of SUI.

"Voice your choice": a study of women's choice of surgery for primary stress urinary incontinence.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: This was an observational study aiming to determine factors which influence women's choice of surgery for primary stress urinary incontinence (SUI). METHODS: Two hundred twelve women undergoing a primary SUI procedure were recruited to this study from 12 hospitals in the north of England. After choosing a procedure, women were asked to complete a standardized semi-structured questionnaire about their health, demographics and a free text box to record factors important to them when choosing their procedure. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the impact of demographic, lifestyle or healthcare factors on women's decision-making. Thematic analysis of the free text data was performed to identify factors important for women when choosing a surgical procedure. RESULTS: Sixty-four percent of women chose urethral bulking. There was no significant difference among age, BMI, smoking status or previous laparotomy between women choosing the four types of surgery. Women were less likely to choose urethral bulking if seen in a tertiary centre compared with a secondary centre (p < 001). Major themes in decision-making were efficacy, invasiveness, recovery, risk of complications, use of mesh, the clinician, the media, hierarchy of treatments and type of anaesthetic. Some women expressed a hierarchical approach to treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest decision-making is not influenced by patient factors such as age, BMI, smoking status or previous laparotomies. Women's choices are a complex mix of factors and not simply related to efficacy.

Survey on surgery for stress urinary incontinence in an era mid-urethral slings are being questioned.

INTRODUCTION: Concerns about vaginal mesh have reduced the use of mid-urethral slings (MUS) in some countries. In view of their potential withdrawal in Belgium and The Netherlands, we polled urogynaecologists on their practice for treating stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and what their experience is with alternative procedures, and we asked them how their patients perceive the risk and success rates. METHODS: A survey among members of the pelvic floor special interest group of the Flemish Society for Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Belgian Association of Urology and Dutch Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. RESULTS: Their primary procedure of choice is the MUS (99%). Sixty-five per cent performs at least 25 MUS yearly; they report high success (90%; IQR [85-92]) and low adverse outcome rates. Physicians anticipate complications as reported in the literature: 5% (IQR [410]) overactive bladder, 5% (IQR [2-10]) voiding problems, 2% (IQR [15]) exposures, 2% (IQR [1-5]) dyspareunia and 1% (IQR [1-3]) chronic pain. Eighty-five per cent of physicians report their patients express fears about having a MUS though usually they cannot precisely tell why. Reportedly they tell their physicians of concerns about pain (54%), exposure (45%), dyspareunia (25%), voiding problems (15%) or overactive bladder (8%). Only half of respondents had ever performed a colposuspension. The majority of these were older and performed colposuspension via laparotomy. Only six (4%) had performed > 20 colposuspensions yearly. CONCLUSION: Dutch and Belgian urogynaecologists estimate success and adverse effect rates of MUS in line with the literature. Their patients most cited worries were fear of chronic pain and exposure. Only half of respondents had ever performed a colposuspension. They were older and performed the procedure via laparotomy.

Joint report on the terminology for surgical procedures to treat stress urinary incontinence in women.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Standardized terminology for surgical procedures commonly performed to treat stress urinary incontinence in women is needed to facilitate research, clinical care, and teaching in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. METHODS: This report combines the input of members of the American Urogynecologic Society and the International Urogynecological Association, assisted by external referees. Extensive searches of the literature were performed, including Instructions for Use brochures and original source documents where possible. Historical context was considered along with procedural modifications, and expert opinion was included when appropriate. RESULTS: A terminology report for the procedures commonly performed to treat stress urinary incontinence in women was produced. Included procedures are midurethral sling, retropubic colposuspension, pubovaginal sling, urethral bulking, and artificial urinary sphincter. Appropriate figures have been included to supplement and help clarify the text. Ongoing review will be performed periodically to keep the document updated and widely acceptable. CONCLUSIONS: This document is a literature and consensus-based terminology report for surgical procedures to treat stress urinary incontinence in women. Future publications in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery should use this standardized terminology whenever possible.

Laparoscopic monolateral suspension for vaginal vault prolapse: a report of an exit surgical strategy during sacralcolpopexy.

BACKGROUND: Vaginal vault prolapse is the most frequent long-term complication in patients undergoing hysterectomy and sacralcolpopexy is considered the gold standard. We report our surgical strategy maintaining single-arm mesh when the sacral promontory is not accessible to fix the mesh for an unknown sacral osteophytosis during a laparoscopic sacralcolpopexy. This is significant because, to our knowledge, the bone variant as a procedure limiting factor has never been described before. This opens new horizons for the sacralcolpopexy surgery, because it becomes necessary to know of a valid surgical alternative with mesh maintenance if this complication occurs again or to perform an assessment of the accessibility of the sacral promontory immediately after its dissection. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of a 75-year-old woman with recurrence of vaginal vault prolapse. A laparoscopic sacralcolpopexy was recommended. During surgery, we found that the procedure was not feasible due to the presence of an unknown osteophytosis of the sacrum which prevented the fixing of the mesh to the sacral promontory. We decided to proceed with a single-arm lateral suspension by using a modified approach of the original technique, maintaining the mesh originally shaped for the sacral colpopexy. At follow-up, the vaginal vault is well suspended. CONCLUSION: This exit strategy may represent a valid surgical alternative when laparoscopic sacral colpopexy is not possible for anatomical variants, allowing to keep the laparoscopic approach using mesh. To our knowledge, cases in which the anatomical bone variant prevented access to the sacral promontory have never been described in the literature, as bone evaluation has never been considered a limiting element of this procedure.

Burch colposuspension.

AIMS: To evaluate the historic and pathophysiologic issues which led to the development of Burch colposuspension, to describe anatomic and technical aspects of the operation and to provide an update on current evidence. METHODS: We have performed a focused literature review and have searched the current available literature about historic dimension, technical descriptions, and efficacy of Burch colposuspension. RESULTS: Burch colposuspension, performed either by an open or a laparoscopic approach, is an effective surgical treatment for stress urinary incontinence. CONCLUSIONS: In current recommendations, Burch colposuspension remains an option for secondary treatment. Because midurethral slings have recently become under scrutiny, it may return as a first-line treatment procedure. Both open and laparoscopic Burch colposuspension should therefore nowadays be provided in fellowship programs worldwide.

Outcomes of stress urinary incontinence in women undergoing TOT versus Burch colposuspension with abdominal sacrocolpopexy.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: To compare postoperative rates of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in patients with pelvic organ prolapse and SUI undergoing abdominal sacrocolpopexy (ASC) with Burch colposuspension or a transobturator tape (TOT) sling. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, medical records of 117 patients who underwent ASC with Burch (n = 60) or TOT (n = 57) between 2008 and 2010 at NYU Winthrop Hospital were assessed. Preoperative evaluation included history, physical examination, cough stress test (CST), and multichannel urodynamic studies (MUDS). Primary outcomes were postoperative continence at follow-up up to 12 weeks. Patients considered incontinent reported symptoms of SUI and had a positive CST or MUDS. Secondary outcomes included intra- and postoperative complications. Associations were analyzed by Fisher's exact, McNemar's and Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney tests. RESULTS: The groups were similar regarding age, BMI, parity, Valsalva leak point pressure (VLPP), and prior abdominal surgery (p = 0.07-0.76). They differed regarding preoperative SUI diagnosed by self-reported symptoms, CST, or MUDS (TOT 89.5-94.7%, Burch 60.7-76.3%, p < 0.0001-0.007). The TOT group had lower rates of postoperative SUI (TOT 12.5%, Burch 30%, OR = 0.15, 95% CI 0.04, 0.62). Relative risk reduction (RRR) in postoperative SUI for the TOT group compared with the Burch group was 79%-86%. There were no differences concerning intra- and postoperative complications. The Burch group had a higher rate of reoperation for persistent/recurrent SUI (Burch 25%, TOT 12% p = 0.078). CONCLUSIONS: The TOT group experienced a greater reduction in postoperative incontinence, and the Burch group underwent more repeat surgeries. The TOT sling may be superior in patients undergoing concomitant ASC.

National BSUG audit of stress urinary incontinence surgery in England.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The aim of the British Society of Urogynaecology (BSUG) 2013 audit for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) surgery was to conduct a national clinical audit looking at the intra- and postoperative complications and provide outcomes for these procedures. This audit was supported by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) and National Health Service (NHS) England. METHODS: Data were collected for all continence procedures performed in 2013 through the BSUG database. All clinicians in England performing SUI surgery were invited to submit data to a central database. Outcomes data for the different continence procedures were collected and included intraoperative and postoperative complications and the change in continence scores at postoperative follow-up Changing trends in stress incontinence surgery were also assessed. RESULTS: We recorded 4993 urinary incontinence procedures from 177 consultants at 110 centres in England: 94.6% were midurethral slings; 86.7% (4331) were submitted by BSUG members with the remaining 13.3% submitted by non-BSUG members. Postoperative follow-up data were available for 3983 (80%) patients: 92.3% (3676) were very much better/much better postoperatively, and 4806 (96.3%) proceeded with no reported complications. There were 187 cases (3.7%) in which a perioperative complication was recorded. Pain persisting >30 days was reported in 1.9% of all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery for SUI has good outcomes in the short term. Midurethral synthetic slings have been shown to be safe and effective as a treatment option, with >90% being very much/much better at their postoperative follow-up.

Current treatments for female primary stress urinary incontinence.

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) affects millions of women worldwide. Pelvic floor muscle training is the first-line treatment for SUI, and if this fails, midurethral sling surgery has become the gold-standard treatment. More recently, complications from midurethral mesh slings, particularly chronic pain and dyspareunia, have become a major concern. Although traditional SUI treatments, such as colposuspension and fascia slings, are used, the future of SUI treatment likely will rely on less invasive alternatives. Modern bulking agents could have the potential to become a first-line treatment for SUI, but further long-term studies are needed. Patients should be involved in decision-making prior to any surgery to ensure that they are aware of the risks and also any reasonable treatment alternatives. Furthermore, the effectiveness of a procedure should be balanced with its invasiveness and possible risks to provide women individually with the best possible treatment option.

Laparoscopic Colposuspension for Recurrent Stress Incontinence after Tension-free Vaginal Tape.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate laparoscopic colposuspension for recurrent stress incontinence after failed tension-free vaginal tape (TVT). DESIGN: A technical video showing laparoscopic colposuspension for previously surgically treated stress incontinence (Canadian Task Force classification III). SETTING: A university hospital. PATIENT: A 58-year-old woman with previous TVT presents with recurrent stress urinary incontinence. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Midurethral slings have equivalent cure rates to the more invasive colposuspension. They are preferentially used for stress urinary incontinence despite a mesh erosion rate of 3.5% with 2.5% requiring further surgery, sling removal, or revision over 9 years [1,2]. Recent negative publicity concerning synthetic mesh tape has led to a resurgence of interest in mesh-free alternatives, including urethral bulking agents, rectus fascia slings, and colposuspension. Laparoscopic colposuspension is a well-established minimally invasive surgery that avoids synthetic mesh, with a quicker recovery, less scarring, and equivalent success to an open approach [3]. Bladder neck mobility is an important marker during selection of this technique. In this video, we demonstrate our transperitoneal technique of colposuspension in the case of failed TVT. This technique allows clear visualization of the operating field and is faster and less bloody than a full dissection. Because complications can ensue from extensive excision and extraction, unless the previous TVT has caused problems such as pain, we normally leave it in situ. Careful dissection is undertaken into the Retzius space to the paravaginal tissues where the iliopectineal ligament is located. On each side, we apply 2 extracorporeally tied nonabsorbable Ethibond (Johnson and Johnson Medical NV, Bruxelles, Belgium) sutures as recommended [4], caudal and lateral to the TVT, lifting the paravaginal tissues to the ligament. The knot is placed on the ligament side to minimize erosion risk. The peritoneal defect is closed with a Vicryl 2.0 (Johnson and Johnson Medical NV) suture. This technique offers a viable mesh-free option for the treatment of recurrent stress incontinence in women who have had failed TVT.

Prolapse surgery with or without incontinence procedure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To reduce the risk of postoperative stress urinary incontinence (POSUI) prolapse repair might be combined with incontinence surgery. OBJECTIVES: Compare efficacy and safety of prolapse surgery with and without incontinence surgery. SEARCH STRATEGY: Including our earlier review a systematic search in PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and the Register of Current Controlled Trials was performed from 1995 to 2017. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised trials comparing prolapse surgery with a midurethral sling (MUS) or Burch colposuspension. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two reviewers selected eligible articles and extracted data. Stress urinary outcomes were pooled for preoperative SUI. Urgency incontinence and adverse events were pooled for incontinence procedure. MAIN RESULTS: Ten trials were included. Women with preoperative SUI symptoms or occult SUI had a lower risk to undergo subsequent incontinence surgery for POSUI after vaginal prolapse surgery with a MUS than after prolapse surgery only: 0 versus 40% [relative risk (RR) 0.0; 95% CI 0.0-0.2] and 1 versus 15% (RR 0.1; 95% CI 0.0-0.6), respectively. These differences were not significant in continent women not tested for occult SUI or without occult SUI. Serious adverse events were more frequent after vaginal prolapse repair with MUS (14 versus 8%; RR 1.7; 95% CI 1.1-2.7), but not after sacrocolpopexy with Burch colposuspension. Combination surgery did not increase the risk of overactive bladder symptoms, urgency incontinence and surgery for voiding dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Vaginal prolapse repair with MUS reduced the risk of postoperative SUI in women with preoperative SUI symptoms or occult SUI, but serious adverse events were more frequent. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Less stress incontinence after vaginal prolapse repair with sling, but more adverse events.