Female urinary incontinence: preoperative selection, surgical complications and results

A total of 98 women with stress urinary incontinence underwent surgical repair via 3 different techniques: 38 patients underwent a Burch colposuspension (group 1), 25 underwent a Stamey procedure (group 2) and 35 had a modified Pereyra operation (group 3). The main indication for an operation was clinically unacceptable incontinence, and urodynamic studies were done on all patients with associated stress and urge incontinence or who underwent reoperation. Subtracted bladder pressure recording was an important preoperative screening tool, since patients with high pressure instability did worse surgically than those with a stable bladder or low pressure instability. In patients with detrusor stability similar results were achieved for initial surgery and reoperations. Among the patients with a stable bladder with and without a previous anti-incontinence operation the over-all results were better in groups 1 and 3 than in group 2. Complications were of lesser magnitude in groups 2 and 3 than in group 1.