Combined cystourethropexy for the treatment of type 3 and complicated female urinary incontinence.

We treated 37 women with type 3 stress urinary incontinence or with an associated complicating factor, such as morbid obesity, a large or proximal diverticulum or a urethrovaginal fistula, via combined transvaginal cystourethropexy. All women with type 3 stress incontinence had failed a previous anti-incontinence operation. Patients in both groups underwent suprapubic needle suspension and an additional bladder neck support procedure. Among 33 patients who underwent preoperative urodynamic studies 30 had stable bladders (90%), while 3 had low pressure detrusor instability (10%). The success rate in achieving continence, including cured and improved patients, was 94.6% with a followup of 3 to 72 months. Four patients (10%) required temporary intermittent catheterization for 3 to 4 weeks but none presented with long-term voiding dysfunction. The added bladder neck support improved our results in these complicated female incontinence cases compared to the standard suprapubic needle suspension procedures alone. The combined procedure currently is our method of choice for treatment of type 3 and other complicated cases of female urinary incontinence.