Burch colposuspension and tension-free vaginal tape in the management of stress urinary incontinence in women

Objective: Objective of the study was to compare the efficacy and the complications of tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) and Burch colposuspension in the treatment of female genuine stress incontinence (GSI). Methods: In this controlled, prospective, randomized study, participated 35 patients who underwent Burch colposuspension and 36 patients that underwent TVT procedure. Patients with prolapse more than first degree, previous surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and detrusor instability were excluded from the study. Results: The operative time for TVT was significantly shorter compared to BC. The severity and duration of postoperative pain for TVT was significantly less compared to BC. The necessary time for return to normal activity was 10 days for TVT and 21 days for BC. The cure rate after 24 months of follow-up was as follows: TVT: 84% and BC: 86%, while the improvement was 7% for TVT and 6% for BC. Conclusions: TVT and Burch colposuspension are equally effective in the management of female GSI at two years follow-up. TVT procedure requires much less operative time, has much shorter hospitalization time, with significantly less postoperative pain and faster return to normal daily activities than Burch colposuspension. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.