The tension-free vaginal tape procedure in women with previous failed stress incontinence surgery.
OBJECTIVE
The tension-free vaginal tape procedure is an increasingly popular choice for treating female urinary stress incontinence. This ongoing, prospective, open label study presents the results of tension-free vaginal tape surgery at 1 year in women who have previously undergone unsuccessful stress incontinence surgery.


METHODS
A total of 67 women with previous failed surgery for stress urinary incontinence underwent the tension-free vaginal tape procedure. Treatment outcome was categorized as cure, significant improvement or failure based on cystometry findings and urinary pad loss results at 3 months of followup, and on subjective questioning at 3 months and 1 year of followup.


RESULTS
At 12 months 54 women (81%) were cured, 4 (6%) were significantly improved and 9 (13%) were no better. No serious morbidity was noted after the procedure.


CONCLUSIONS
The tension-free vaginal tape procedure provides the prospect of a success rate similar to that of a conventional sling procedure in patients with previous failed surgery. It has a low rate of operative complications and postoperative morbidity.
Azam
U
U
Department of Urogynaecology, Warrington General Hospital, Cheshire and Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
Frazer
M I
MI
Kozman
E L
EL
Ward
K
K
Hilton
P
P
Rane
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011126:Polypropylenes; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D012086:Reoperation; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014521:Urethra; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000601:surgery*
D011126:Polypropylenes