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Failure of allograft suburethral slings
M P Fitzgerald1, J Mollenhauer, L Brubaker
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Urogynecology and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery, Rush-Presbyterian-St.Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA. mfitzger@rush.edu
Objectives:
To report our experience of using freeze-dried irradiated fascia lata allografts for suburethral sling procedures.
Patients And Methods:
Between December 1996 and September 1998, 35 patients (mean age 60.25 years, range 37-79) underwent suburethral sling placement with fascia allograft. These patients were reviewed, with the findings at the time of any surgical re-exploration. Eleven (31%) had undergone prior surgery for genuine stress incontinence and 32 (91%) had a preoperative diagnosis of intrinsic sphincter deficiency.
Results:
On re-operation for persistent or recurrent stress incontinence, the allograft was present but grossly degenerated in two (6%) patients and completely absent in five (14%) patients. Histology of a retrieved graft fragment showed both fibroblast proliferation and degeneration within the graft.
Conclusion:
The use of freeze-dried, irradiated fascia lata for suburethral sling procedures was associated with a material failure rate of >/=20%. We caution against its use in this setting.