Midurethral Sling Surgery: Impacts on Sexual Function and Approaches to Complications

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is highly prevalent among adult women and can significantly impact quality of life (QoL), including sexual function (SF). The midurethral sling (MUS) has become the gold-standard intervention for SUI owing to its high efficacy and minimal invasiveness. However, its impact on SF is less well understood. This review is aimed at examining the impact of MUS techniques on SF in women with SUI and outlines evidence-based interventions for managing MUS complications or failure.

The PubMed database was searched to identify original, peer-reviewed articles published from 2014 to 2025 that examined changes in SF and treatment options in patients undergoing MUS surgery for SUI.

Ninety-eight studies were included in this review. Our analysis found that most studies reported an improvement or preservation of SF following MUS placement. However, surgical outcomes varied depending on the type of sling, follow-up duration, and individual patient characteristics. A subset of patients may also experience postoperative complications such as mesh exposure and recurrent incontinence, requiring further intervention. Treatment options after MUS failure range from conservative approaches, including pelvic floor muscle training and steroid injections, to more invasive surgical interventions such as sling mobilization or removal, urethral bulking injections, and repeat SUI surgeries.

Further long-term studies using validated SF instruments are needed to guide clinical decision-making and optimize outcomes for women undergoing MUS surgery.