title: Sexual function and quality of life following retropubic TVT and single-incision sling in women with stress urinary incontinence: results of a prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this prospective cohort study was to compare effectiveness, morbidity, quality of life (QoL) and sexual function in women treated with tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) versus single-incision sling (SIS) in the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence (SUI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Retropubic TVT sling or SIS was implanted in local anesthesia and patients were followed post-operatively for 6 months. Evaluation was performed to assess post-operative rate of continence, complications, changes in sexual function and patient reported quality of life. Female sexual function was evaluated before and after sling procedure using Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) in sexually active patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From January 2009 to December 2011, 150 patients were enrolled and underwent a procedure to implant the retropubic TVT (n = 75) or the MiniArc(®) and Ajust(®) SIS (n = 75). Overall, 93.3 % of the patients who successfully received SIS demonstrated total restoration (84 %) or improvement of continence (9.3 %) at the 6 month post-operative study visit. In TVT group we found 88 % total continence and 6.7 % improvement, respectively. Improvements were seen in the QoL scores related to global bladder feeling (89.3 %) in SIS group and 96 % for TVT. Post-operative FSFI score improves significantly and were comparable in both groups (SIS pre-operative 24.30 ± 4.56 to 27.22 ± 4.66 (P < 0.001) post-operative; TVT 24.63 ± 6.62 to 28.47 ± 4.41, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SIS procedure appears to be as effective in improving incontinence-related quality of life and sexual function as the TVT through 6 months of post-operative follow-up. No differences in complications and sexual function were demonstrated between the groups.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Langenbeckstrasse 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany. gnaumann@uni-mainz.de
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Naumann
authors.forename: Joscha
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Steetskamp
authors.forename: Mira
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Laterza
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Skala
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Albrich
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koelbl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004414:Dyspareunia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000453:epidemiology*; D053825:Suburethral Slings; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000601:surgery*