Transobturator tape in the management of female stress incontinence: clinical outcomes at medium term follow-up.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the efficacy of transobturator tape (TOT) in the management of stress urinary incontinence at a medium term follow-up.

METHODS

TOT is a polypropylene tape positioned through the obturator foramen. 70 patients with type II urinary stress incontinence were treated with TOT between June 2003 and May 2006. Patients were prospectively studied by physical examination, quality of life questionnaire (I-QOL), visual analog scale, global impression (dry, improved, same, worse), preoperative urodynamic study, and pre- and postoperative flowmetry. Statistical analysis (t test) of the difference in I-QOL scores and flowmetry was made by StatSoft V. 5.1.

RESULTS

The average follow-up was 32 (range 12-48) months. The I-QOL score increased statistically significantly by 40 points. The average percent improvement was 80%. 90% (63/70) of the patients were dry and 5% (4/70) were improved. The pre- and postoperative uroflowmetry studies were not statistically different. Vaginal erosion occurred in 4 patients.

CONCLUSION

TOT is a safe procedure with a good efficacy at 32-month follow-up.