Female urinary tract fistulas.

Urinary tract fistulas in women are an uncommon complication of a variety of surgical procedures. However, such fistulas lead to significant patient and physician distress, and have important medicolegal implications. Successful repair of urinary tract fistulas requires careful preoperative evaluation and adherence to basic surgical principles. A variety of approaches and techniques may be used, and the choice of procedure is less important than achieving adequate resection of fibrosis with watertight, tension-free closure of well vascularized tissues in layers. Interposition grafts of omentum, muscle, peritoneum and labial fat may be used in recurrent, complicated or radiated fistulas, and add significantly to the rate of success. Overall, successful repair of urinary tract fistulas can be achieved in the majority of cases.