Lower urinary tract injuries after transobturator tape insertion by different routes: a large retrospective study

To identify the rate of, and risk factors for, lower urinary tract (LUT) injuries associated with the transobturator tension-free vaginal tape (TOT) procedure.

Retrospective cohort study.

Tertiary referral urogynaecology centre.

390 women who underwent transobturator suburethral tapes for management of urodynamic stress incontinence between July 2002 and January 2006.

Early cases were identified from theatre records and a case note review performed. From May 2005 (n = 94), data from an ongoing prospective audit were reviewed. Data for LUT injuries with TOT procedures were examined and routes of insertion were compared using Fischer's exact test.

Rate of LUT injuries associated with the TOT procedures. Assessment of factors increasing risk of LUT injury, and comparison of the 'outside-in' and 'inside-out' techniques.

241 women underwent TOT outside-in technique and 148 of them underwent inside-out technique. Four LUT injuries occurred (1%): two urethral injuries (0.5%) and two bladder injuries (0.5%). All LUT injuries occurred in the outside-in group, although this difference did not reach significance (P = 0.146). Bladder injuries occurred in women who underwent concomitant vaginal surgery, while urethral injuries occurred in women undergoing secondary procedures.

LUT injury is an uncommon complication of the TOT procedures, and in our hands only occurred with the outside-in technique. Intraoperative cystoscopy should be considered only in selected cases.