Comparison of outcomes between single-incision sling and transobturator sling for treating stress urinary incontinence: A 10-year prospective study

To evaluate and compare the clinical outcomes of the transobturator sling with the single-incision sling, for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence at a long-term follow-up.

From October 2008 to October 2010, 94 patients who were enrolled and underwent either TVT-O, one of standard mid-urethral sling or TVT-S, one of single-incision mini-sling (SIMS) procedure. The study population was followed until February 2019. Surgical outcomes were analyzed by subjective and objective evaluations and Chinese version questionnaires. Data were analyzed by IBM 23.0 SPSS Statistics. The level of statistical significance was set at P < 0.05.

At the 10-year follow-up, 31(64.6%) TVT-O patients and 33(71.7%) TVT-S patients were still available. Objective cure and subjective satisfaction rate were not significantly different for TVT-O compared with TVT-S (P >  0.05). However, TVT-S showed a greater drop in success from the second to the tenth year compared with TVT-O (15.1% vs 0% and 9.2% vs 3.2%, respectively). Both groups experienced significantly improved quality of life in the TVT-O group and in the TVT-S group (P < 0.05). The total PISQ-12 scores at 10 years postoperatively of the TVT-O and TVT-S groups were 33.4(4.7) compared with 33.6(3.9) before surgery (P = 0.67 > 0.05) and 35.5(5.9) compared with 31.5(6.3) before surgery (P = 0.045 < 0.05).

It is difficult to state that there is superiority of one sling over another sling without a significant difference. But TVT-O showed superior objective cure and subjective satisfaction rates and a less decline in success during 10 years compared with TVT-S.