[Comparative analysis of complications between different surgical techniques in the treatment of urinary stress incontinence at our centre].

OBJECTIVES

Surgical repair is the most effective treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) currently. Nevertheless, this method is not without complications. The objective of this work is to compare the incidence of complications between different groups of surgical techniques employed for the treatment of SUI in our patients.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed of SUI who underwent surgery at our department between January 1991 and December 1999, grouping patients in three categories depending on the procedure: abdominal technique, abdomino-vaginal techniques, and sling procedures. Complications were grouped into two categories: major and minor complications. Chi-square and Fisher's test were used for the association analysis of complications' frequencies. All confidence intervals and level of statistical significance were calculated for a p value < 0.05.

RESULTS

5.16% of the patients undergoing surgery for SUI suffered major complications. Globally, the most frequent complications were suprapubic pain (33%), wound seroma and/or infection (20%), postoperative acute urinary retention (AUR) (26%), and presence of significant post void residual (24%), being the sling procedure with a greater number of postoperative complications, as much in postoperative pain, as in AUR, as in presence of post void residual (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Sling procedures present a significantly higher percentage of complications when compared with abdominal and combined techniques.