title: Tension-Free vaginal tape: analysis of outcomes and complications in 404 stress incontinent women.
abstract: The aim of this prospective multicenter study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) for the surgical treatment of female stress incontinence. Four hundred and four women underwent the TVT procedure. Their mean age was 57 years (range 31-83). The median follow-up time was 21 months (range 12-35). The subjective and objective cure rates were 92% and 90%, respectively. Another 4% of the women were significantly improved by the procedure. Intra- and postoperative complications were few and included uneventful bladder perforations (6%), retropubic bleeding requiring surgery (0.5%), voiding difficulties (4%) in the postoperative course, and one obturator nerve injury. We conclude that the TVT procedure is associated with a high cure rate and a low morbidity.
authors.affiliation: University of Milan Italy. uroginecologia@infinito.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meschia
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pifarotti
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bernasconi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guercio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maffiolini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Magatti
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spreafico
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000601:surgery*; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D014621:Vagina