Complications from permanent suture in surgery for stress urinary incontinence. A report of two cases

Two cases reports are used to illustrate potential complications of permanent suture in vaginal and abdominal surgical procedures for urinary incontinence. The first case used permanent suture for an abdominal retropubic urethropexy. A portion of a glove finger remained attached to the suture and was not recognized until the patient developed a retropubic abscess two years later. In the second case, permanent suture used in a vaginal retropubic urethropexy eroded through the vagina. The patient presented with lower abdominal pain 18 months after the procedure; the pain was relieved with removal of the suture. Complications of using permanent suture in abdominal retropubic urethropexy have not been reported, but the attachment of a foreign body, such as a glove finger, can create an adverse outcome. The use of permanent suture in vaginal procedures should be used with the awareness that there are potential complications.