Outcome measures and surgery for stress urinary incontinence.

A large number of surgical procedures to correct urinary stress incontinence in the female have been described. There has been wide variablility in reported success rates. This variablility is due to a number of factors. Papers published in 1997 that assess outcomes in the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence illustrate many of the current problems that exist with examining outcomes, including patient selection, modifications in technique, the definition of success, how success is measured and when the outcome is assessed.