Short- and long-term results of the tension-free vaginal tape procedure in the treatment of female urinary incontinence

Background. The aim was to describe the short- and long-term results of treatment for urinary incontinence (UI) in women using the tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) procedure at a single unit and to identify factors predictive of successful outcome. Material and methods. Consecutive female patients (n = 707) treated for UI with the TVT procedure at Karlstad Hospital from November 1996 to June 2004 were included. After a standardized preoperative evaluation, the women were classified as having either stress urinary incontinence (SUI) or mixed urinary incontinence (MUI). The results of surgery were evaluated after 1, 2, and 5 years, by means of a postal questionnaire. An objective evaluation was performed after 5 years in a subsample of the first patients included (n = 59). Factors influencing the cure rate were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. Results. The subjective cure rate was 83% after 1 year and 73% after 5 years. The objective cure rate was 83% in the subgroup after 5 years. Surgical time was 30 +/- 9 9 min (mean +/- SD). The rate of bladder perforations was 1.7%. In patients with MUI the cure rate was lower than in patients with SUI (after 5 years 54.9% versus 81.0%). Type of incontinence was the only independent variable found to influence surgical outcome. Conclusions. The TVT procedure, performed in over 700 women at a single gynecological unit, was found to be a safe and efficient surgical procedure. Type of incontinence was the only independent variable found to predict for outcome of surgery.