Long-Term Outcomes After Midurethral Mesh Sling Surgery for Stress Urinary Incontinence

Although midurethral mesh slings are the criterion standard surgical treatment for stress urinary incontinence (SUI), limited data exist regarding long-term outcomes. Thus, our objectives were to evaluate the long-term risk of sling revision and the risk of repeat SUI surgery up to 15 years after the initial sling procedure and to identify predictors of these outcomes.

Using a population-based cohort of commercially insured individuals in the United States, we identified women aged 18 years or older who underwent a sling procedure between 2001 and 2018. For sling revision, we evaluated indications (mesh exposure or urinary retention). We estimated the cumulative risks of sling revision and repeat SUI surgery annually using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and evaluated predictors using Cox proportional hazards models.

We identified 334,601 mesh sling surgical procedures. For sling revision, the 10-year and 15-year risks were 6.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 6.7-7.0) and 7.9% (95% CI, 7.5-8.3), with 48.7% of sling revisions associated with mesh exposure. The 10-year and 15-year risks of repeat SUI surgery were 14.5% (95% CI, 14.2-14.8) and 17.9% (95% CI, 17.3-18.6). Women aged 18-29 years had an elevated risk for both sling revision (hazard ratio, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.15-1.25) and repeat SUI surgery (hazard ratio, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.25-1.37) compared with women 70 years and older.

In our study population, the 15-year risk of sling revision was 7.9%, with nearly half of revisions due to mesh exposure. These findings provide critical long-term data to support informed decisions for women and health care providers considering midurethral mesh slings.