BACKGROUND: Few studies have characterized longer-term outcomes after retropubic and transobturator midurethral slings.
METHODS: Women completing 2-year participation in a randomized equivalence trial who had not received surgical retreatment for stress urinary incontinence were invited to participate in a 5-year observational cohort. The primary outcome, treatment success, was defined as no re-treatment or self-reported stress incontinence symptoms. Secondary outcomes included urinary symptoms and quality of life, satisfaction, sexual function and adverse events.
RESULTS: 404 of 597 (68%) women from the original trial enrolled. Five-years after surgical treatment, success was 7.9% greater in women assigned to retropubic-sling compared to transobturator-sling (51.3% vs 43.4%, 95% CI -1.4%, 17.2%) not meeting pre-specified criteria for equivalence. Satisfaction decreased over 5-years, but remained high and similar between arms (79%, retropubic-sling vs 85%, transobturator-sling groups, p=0.15). Urinary symptoms and quality of life worsened over time (p< 0.001), and women with retropubic-sling reported greater urinary urgency (P=0.001), more negative quality of life impact (p=0.02), and worse sexual function (P=0.001). There was no difference in proportion of women experiencing at least 1 adverse event (p=0.17). Seven new mesh erosions were noted (retropubic-sling-3, transobturator-sling-4).
CONCLUSION: Treatment success declined over 5-years for retropubic and transobturator-slings and did not meet pre-specified criteria for equivalence with retropubic demonstrating a slight benefit. However, satisfaction remained high in both arms. Women undergoing transobturator-sling reported more sustained improvement in urinary symptoms and sexual function. New mesh erosions occurred in both arms over time, although at a similarly low rate.
Written by:
Kenton K, Stoddard AM, Zyczynski H, Albo M, Rickey L, Norton P, Wai C, Kraus SR, Sirls LT, Kusek JW, Litman HJ, Chang RP, Richter HE. Are you the author?
Northwestern University; New England Research Institutes; University of Pittsburgh, Magee-Women's Research Institute; University of California San Diego; Yale University; University of Utah; University of Texas Southwestern; University of Texas Health Sciences Center San Antonio; William Beaumont Hospital; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; Boston Children's Hospital; University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Reference: J Urol. 2014 Aug 23. pii: S0022-5347(14)04265-7.
doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2014.08.089
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 25158274