Laparoscopic transvesical removal of erosive mesh after transobturator tape procedure

We have experienced two cases of intravesical transobturator tape (TOT) tape successfully removed by laparoscopic transvesical procedure. Patient 1 was a 67-year-old woman complaining of irritative symptoms of the urinary bladder. In another hospital she had undergone anterior corporrhaphy and a TOT procedure to treat a cystocele and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) 17 months before the initial consultation. A cystoscopy revealed tape extrusion and adherent calculi at the 4 to 5 O'clock position of the bladder neck. After filling the bladder with carbon dioxide, three 5-mm ports were placed in lower abdomen directly into the bladder. The tape extruding from the bladder muscle layer was completely excised, and extirpated with the adherent calculi. The bladder mucosa and muscle layer were continuously sutured using 4-0 Vicryl (Ethicon Inc., Somerville, NJ, USA). The port entry sites were closed under direct vision using 4-0 Vicryl. SUI recurred 15 months later and a second TOT surgery was performed. Neither SUI nor mesh extrusion have been observed during the 18 months following the second TOT. Patient 2 was a 74-year-old woman. She consulted our hospital for the removal of an intravesically extruded tape and adherent calculi. She had undergone a vaginal hysterectomy and TOT surgery for uterine prolapse and SUI at another hospital 3 years before her visit. A cystoscopy revealed tape extrusion and adherent calculi on the right bladder wall. We performed an endoscopic transvesical extirpation of the intravesical foreign bodies in a same manner described below. There has been no recurrent SUI or mesh erosion during the 18-month follow up.