Effectiveness and quality of life 10 years after transobturator suburethral tape surgery for stress urinary incontinence.

AIM: We aimed to measure the effectiveness and quality of life (QoL) 10 years after transobturator suburethral tape surgery.

METHODS: We carried out a prospective observational study of 42 women assessed 10 years after surgical intervention with the transobturator technique. The main outcome measures were subjective and objective cure or improvement, complications, and changes in QoL.

RESULTS: The median abdominal leak point pressure had been 92 (82-113) mL H2 O prior to surgery. Thirty-six women (85.7%) remained cured (negative cough test) and 13 (31%) reported urine leakage during physical activity, percentages which were similar to those at a previous assessment at the 5th year. Urgency urinary incontinence was reported by 18 women (42.9%), 16 of whom required the use of anticholinergic drugs. Nineteen women had undergone some form of surgical pelvic reconstruction concomitantly with the TOT procedure, four of whom presented with relapse. The QoL tests indicated that cure and improvement persisted in 85.7% (n = 36, Urogenital Distress Inventory-6) and 92.9% (n = 39, Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7) of the 42 evaluable women, respectively.

CONCLUSION: Rates of objective and subjective effectiveness remained stable after 10 years of surgery and QoL did not deteriorate significantly during that interval. The increase in urgency incontinence needs to be further investigated.