"Inside-out" transobturator tension-free vaginal tape for management of occult stress urinary incontinence in women undergoing pelvic organ prolapse repair

Objectives To assess the safety and effectiveness of the "inside-out" transobturator tension-free vaginal tape procedure for the management of occult stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in clinically continent women undergoing prolapse repair. Methods A total of 117 consecutive continent women (mean age and parity 66.8 ± 9.9 years and 3.2 ± 1.5, respectively) with significant pelvic organ prolapse and urodynamically confirmed occult SUI were enrolled in the present study. Surgical intervention included transvaginal prolapse repair and concomitant prophylactic transobturator tension-free vaginal tape. The main outcome measures were procedure-related complications, early and late postoperative morbidity, postoperative urodynamic SUI, persistent or de novo overactive bladder, and bladder outlet obstruction. Results No cases of significant blood loss, hematoma formation, or bladder injury occurred. Of the 117 patients, 6 (5.1%) had immediate postoperative voiding difficulties necessitating catheterization for >2 days. Late postoperative morbidity was assessed in 110 patients with <3 months of follow-up (mean 27.2 ± 17.7). Of these 110 patients, 7 (6.4%) had protracted postoperative thigh pain with spontaneous resolution within 1-3 months, and 7 (6.4%) had developed recurrent urinary tract infections. No cases of vaginal erosion developed. The functional outcome analysis was restricted to 92 patients with <12 months of follow-up (mean 31 ± 16). Of the 92 patients, 13 (14%) were found to have urodynamic SUI. However only 2 patients (2.2%) were symptomatic for a subjective and objective cure rate of 97.8% and 86%, respectively. Of the 34 patients who had had overactive bladder preoperatively, 22 (64.7%) had persisting symptoms postoperatively. An additional 4 patients (6.9%) had developed de novo overactive bladder symptoms, and 1 patient had bladder outlet obstruction. Conclusions The prophylactic transobturator tension-free vaginal tape procedure is both effective and safe in patients with occult SUI undergoing prolapse repair.