Korean J Urol.  2006 Aug;47(8):841-846. 10.4111/kju.2006.47.8.841.

Surgical Intervention for the Complications of the Sling Operation in Patients with Female Stress Urinary Incontinence

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Urology, Wonkwang University School of Medicine and Institute of Wonkwang Medical Science, Iksan, Korea. sc.park@wonkwang.ac.kr

Abstract

PURPOSE: Stress urinary incontinence is a quality of life issue for millions of women worldwide. Mid-urethral slings are becoming the treatment of choice for the management of stress urinary incontinence. Although it is a minimally invasive procedure, the widespread use of this procedure has led to an increasing number of severe complications. In our series, there were 6 patients with complications that necessitated surgery.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Six patients underwent the sling procedure and they required surgical intervention for their complications, including permanent urinary retention, de-novo urgency, intravesical polypropylene mesh tape, intravesical suture material, vaginal mucosal erosion, and urethral shortening.
RESULTS
For the patients with urinary retension, they underwent resection of periurethral sling transvaginally. The intravesical tapes were resected by the transurethral approach, and this was supported by suprapubic laparoscopic trocar puncture. The intraravesical suture material was removed by same approach. In the case of vaginal erosion, the periurethral part of the tape was resected transvaginally. A patient with urethral shortening was treated with urethroplasty.
CONCLUSIONS
Complications from the sling operation that require surgical intervention are rare. Nevertheless, the surgeon must be aware that complications may occur that require surgical intervention with high morbidity.

Keyword

Urinary incontinence; stress; Complications

MeSH Terms

Female*
Humans
Polypropylenes
Punctures
Quality of Life
Suburethral Slings
Surgical Instruments
Sutures
Urinary Incontinence*
Urinary Retention
Polypropylenes

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Ultrasonography shows linear hyperechoic echogengcity in the bladder.

  • Fig. 2 (A) Cystoscopy shows the intravesical encrusted polypropylene mesh tape, (B) the Resected polypropylene mesh tape.

  • Fig. 3 Cystoscopy shows intravesical suture material.

  • Fig. 4 Polypropylene mesh shows in the anterior vaginal wall.


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