Incidence and risk factors for reoperation of surgically treated urinary incontinence.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The objective of our study was to estimate the incidence and to identify the risk factors for reoperation of surgically treated stress urinary incontinence (SUI). METHODS: We conducted a nested case-control study among 1,132 women who underwent SUI surgery from January 1988 to June 2007. Cases (n=35) were women who required reoperation for SUI following the first intervention up to December 2008. Controls (n=89) were women randomly selected from the same cohort who did not require reoperation. RESULTS: The cumulative incidence of SUI reoperation was 3.1 % with a mean follow-up of 10.9 years (range 1.7-21.0). The main risk factor was the history of more than one vaginal delivery [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 3.5; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.0-12.6]. The use of synthetic midurethral slings was a protective factor compared to other surgical procedures for urinary incontinence (adjusted OR 0.1; 95 % CI 0.0-0.6). CONCLUSIONS: The risk of reoperation after SUI surgery appears to be low and associated with multiple vaginal deliveries. Synthetic slings at index surgery are associated with a lower risk of reoperation.

Clinical use of aromatase inhibitors (AI) in premenopausal women.

Aromatase inhibitors (AI) block the last enzymatic step of estrogen production, the aromatization of the A-cycle of aromatizable androgens and particularly, androstenedione (delta4) and testosterone (T). Molecules designed for interfering with aromatase activity have existed for many years. Yet the activity of products of the aminogluthetimide era was unspecific and these substances carried too many side effects for being used clinically. Newer third generation AIs, however, are highly specific and essentially devoid of side effects. These molecules have recently been approved for treating breast cancer in postmenopausal women either, in advanced forms or, as part of adjuvant therapy. In women whose ovaries are active, a temporary inhibition of E2 production will raise gonadotropins and in turn, stimulate follicular growth. In cancer patients, this property precludes the use of AIs in women whose ovaries are still active, unless gonadotropins are blocked. But in infertility patients, this property of AIs has been put to play for inducing ovulation. AIs have been used both in women who do not ovulate but whose hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis is active (oligo-anovulators of PCOD type) and those who ovulate regularly but in whom multiple ovulation is sought for treating unexplained infertility or as part of IVF. Like clomiphene citrate (CC), AIs are not usable in women whose gonadotropins are suppressed, as in the case of hypothalamic amenorrhea. The sum of data available on the use of AI for inducing ovulation remains however meager to this date and is mainly constituted of pilot and non-randomized trials. Yet mounting evidence tends to support AIs' advantages over CC for induction of ovulation. Hence, we think that the likelihood that these drugs will play a key role in induction of ovulation in the future is high. AIs appear particularly interesting for treating unexplained infertility because AI-FSH/hMG regimens are lighter than FSH-only regimens while retaining the high pregnancy rates of these latter treatments.