[Vaginal prolapse and stress urinary incontinence: combined treatment by a single prosthesis]

To evaluate the efficacy and possible short-term and medium-term complications of vaginal prosthetic surgery with transobturator fixation to treat prolapse and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) that are often associated in a single operation.

From February 2002 to August 2004, 45 patients with a mean age of 66 +/- 11 years presenting essentially stage 3 or 4 cystocele associated with SUI (documented for 40 cases and revealed by reduction of the prolapse for the other five) were operated according to the transobturator infracoccygeal sling technique.

With a mean follow-up of 31 +/- 9 months, the success rate of the technique was estimated to be 98% anatomically (only one failure) and 91% in terms of urinary symptoms (73% of patients were cured, 18% were improved and 9% failed). No cases of urinary retention were observed, except for one patient with a secondarily infected pelvic haematoma requiring evacuation and the partial removal of the prosthesis. The mean residual urine on discharge was 83 ml. Two patients developed de novo overactive bladder The prostheses exposure rate was 18%.

Combined treatment of vaginal prolapse and associated urinary incontinence is possible by the use of a single transvaginal prosthesis. The medium-term anatomical results are very good. The results on continence are good and a subsequent specific procedure is always possible in the case of failure or insufficient improvement. The prostheses exposure rate is similar to that observed with synthetic transvaginal prostheses.