Perspectives by patients and physicians on outcomes of mid-urethral sling surgery

The aim of this study is to determine patient expectations regarding wanted and unwanted sequels of mid-urethral sling (MUS) procedures and to identify mismatches during the physician-patient information exchange prior to MUS procedures.

A patient preference study (40 patients) and a questionnaire study with 20 experts as control group were conducted. Seventeen different sequels, defined by an expert team, were evaluated.

Both patients and expert physicians ranked cure and improvement of stress urinary incontinence as the most important goals of treatment. De novo urge urinary incontinence, requiring post-operative intermittent self-catheterisation and dyspareunia were considered to be the most important complications by patients. Time to resume work after the operation and dyspareunia were among the highest rated sequels in the patient group compared to re-operation and intra-operative complications in the expert group.

No differences were found in the five most important outcome parameters. In pre-operative counselling and future clinical trials, time to resume work and dyspareunia should be given more consideration by clinicians.