Surgical intervention for complications of tension-free vaginal tape procedure.
OBJECTIVE
The tension-free vaginal tape procedure has become a state of the art operation for female stress urinary incontinence. Cases of complications requiring surgical revision are reported to be rare. We report on 6 patients with complications necessitating surgery.


METHODS
Six patients who previously underwent the tension-free vaginal tape procedure required surgical management of complications, including intravesical polypropylene mesh tape with incrustation and chronic urinary tract infection in 2, vaginal mucosal mesh erosion of the vaginal incision in 1 and permanent urinary retention in 3.


RESULTS
The intravesical tapes were resected via a suprapubic approach. In the case of disturbed wound healing the periurethral part of the tape was resected transvaginally. A patient in urinary retention underwent resection of the periurethral sling, while in the other 2 the tapes were transected transvaginally. Two patients in whom incontinence recurred were successfully treated with a repeat tension-free vaginal tape procedure during followup.


CONCLUSIONS
Complications of the tension-free vaginal tape procedure that require surgical intervention are rare. The surgeon must be aware that this operation may lead to an additional surgical procedure, significantly increasing morbidity.
Volkmer
Bjoern G
BG
Department of Urology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
Nesslauer
Thomas
T
Rinnab
Ludwig
L
Schradin
Thomas
T
Hautmann
Richard E
RE
Gottfried
Hans-Werner
HW
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery; D013526:Surgical Mesh; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000601:surgery*; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D014621:Vagina