Proximal location of explanted midurethral slings is associated with urinary storage symptoms

To examine the location of midurethral slings (MUS) at the time of excision to determine associations between presenting symptoms and sling location at explant.

We performed an IRB approved, retrospective review of MUS explants between January 2011 and March 2016. Symptoms and physical examination findings were compared between women with slings explanted from the mid-urethra (MU) and women with slings explanted from the proximal urethra/bladder neck (PU/BN).

We included 95 consecutive women who underwent MUS explant in the analysis. Presenting symptoms included pain in 69 women (72.6%), urinary urgency in 66 (66.5%), voiding dysfunction in 55 (57.9%), urge urinary incontinence (UUI) in 41 (43.2%), stress urinary incontinence in 34 (35.8%), and recurrent urinary tract infections in 22 (23.2%). At sling explant, 2 (2.1%) slings were found at the distal urethra, 33 (34.7%) at the MU and 60 (63.2%) at the PU/BN. Women with slings explanted from the PU/BN were more likely to present with urgency (78.3% vs 54.5%; P = 0.017) and UUI (53.3% vs 27.3%; P = 0.015) and less likely to present with pain on examination (48.3% vs 75.8%; P = 0.01).

The majority of MUS requiring explant in this cohort were found at the PU/BN. The most common presenting symptom before MUS explant was pain, followed by urgency and voiding dysfunction. PU/BN location of MUS is likely a factor in the development of urgency and UUI in women who ultimately undergo explant.