Nine years follow-up after TVT-O; the mesh still available for women suffering from urinary incontinence

The efficacy of TVT-O is well established in patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy, safety and patient satisfaction of TVT-O in patients suffering from primary or recurrent SUI or mixed urinary incontinence (MUI).

A single-center follow-up study was conducted. All consecutive women treated by TVT-O between August 2004 and October 2011 were included. Objective treatment success was a negative stress test. Patient satisfaction was assessed by questionnaires.

The mean time from the surgery to the last follow-up visit was 9 years. One hundred and six patients were included in the final evaluation. Nineteen patients (18%) were previously operated on for urinary incontinence (UI). Ninety patients (85%) were objectively cured; 68 (89%) of the SUI and 22 (73%) of the MUI patients (p = 0.067). Fourteen (74%) of the previously operated patients and 76 (87%) of the patients who underwent first-time TVT-O were objectively cured (p = 0.158). Eighty-six patients (81%) achieved subjective success; 70 (92%) of the SUI and sixteen (53%) of the MUI patients (p<0.001). Eleven women (58%) who had repeat surgery and 75 women (86%) who had primary operation were subjectively cured (p = 0.008).

TVT-O is effective in women who suffer from SUI having 90% objective and subjective cure rate 9 years after surgery. There were no major complications, but 16% of the women suffered from groin pain and 37% had urgency symptoms. The results of TVT-O were still good, and it is a therapeutic alternative for different subgroups of UI including recurrent cases.