Transvaginal bone anchors in female stress urinary incontinence: poor results.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluates the results of a minimally invasive technique for correcting female stress urinary incontinence by transvaginal implantation of pubic bone anchors.


METHODS
Female stress urinary incontinence was treated by fixing a gelatin-coated Dacron sling between two miniature titanium anchors with Prolene sutures.


RESULTS
A total of 26 patients (median age 57.2 years) underwent the sling procedure. The follow-up examination was performed after 11.4 months on average. Stress incontinence showed a median improvement from grade 2 to grade 0.5 (p = 0.01), although only 16 of the 26 patients were completely continent. Urethral pressure and functional length were not significantly influenced. Impaired vaginal wound healing was seen in 14 of the 26 patients (53.8%), and 13 of them underwent revision. All patients affected (15/26, 57.7%) as well as 1 with uneventful healing showed sensory urge symptoms or detrusor instability (7/26, 26.9%). The correlation between impaired wound healing and detrusor instability was highly significant (p < 0.003). 17 of the 26 patients (65.3%) were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with the intervention. The unfavorable results did not significantly correlate with the patients' age, the number of previous operations, or the surgeon's skill.


CONCLUSIONS
In view of the poor vaginal wound healing and the resultant irritative symptoms, transvaginal bone anchoring with fixation of a Dacron sling must be regarded as an unsuitable technique.
Schostak
M
M
Department of Urology, Benjamin Franklin Hospital, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. martin.schostak@medizin.fu-berlin.de
Miller
K
K
Müller
M
M
Schrader
M
M
Steiner
U
U
Gottfried
H W
HW
D001863:Bone Screws; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000592:standards; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation / Q000592:standards*; D011630:Pubic Bone / Q000601:surgery; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013536:Suture Techniques / Q000592:standards*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014563:Urodynamics; D014621:Vagina / Q000601:surgery*
D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates