[Clinical and instrumental evaluation after Burch's colposuspension in patients with stress urinary incontinence].

The authors performed a retrospective study of 29 patients undergoing Burch's anterior colposuspension to treat stress incontinence. Patients were aged between 32 and 71 years old and before surgery presented a urodynamic picture with low mictional pressure, normal filling and Max P of lower closing at 40 mm. Follow-up monitoring ranged from a minimum of 6 months to a maximum of 5 years (mean length 33 months) and was carried out using a urodynamic examination and transvaginal scan to evaluate the distance of the bladder neck from the posterior face of the pubic symphysis. Seventeen women (65.5%) were fully cured after surgery, whereas 27% improved. In "dry" patients the urodynamic examination showed increased significantly of the functional length of the urethra and the transvaginal scan showed that mean values of the distance between bladder neck and pubic symphysis were lover than those in those patients who still presented symptoms. The authors also used ultrasonography to evaluate the efficacy of the latter in the study of urinary incontinence. As reported in other studies, they affirm that intracavitary ultrasonography using a linea probe is equivalent to radiography using cystography with metallic repere, making the examination less invasive and easily repeatable; in addition, it is also important for studying the dynamics of the pelvic floor to establish effective rehabilitative treatment.