Journal of South Asian Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Register      Login

VOLUME 14 , ISSUE 3 ( May-June, 2022 ) > List of Articles

Original Article

Female Stress Urinary Incontinence: Our Experience with Transobturator Tape

Lynsel H Texeira, V Jeevan Kumar, Mariam Anjum Ifthikar, Nischith D Souza, Divyashree Bhat

Keywords : Bonney's test, Quality of life, Stress urinary incontinence, Transobturator vaginal tape

Citation Information : Texeira LH, Kumar VJ, Ifthikar MA, Souza ND, Bhat D. Female Stress Urinary Incontinence: Our Experience with Transobturator Tape. J South Asian Feder Obs Gynae 2022; 14 (3):223-226.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10006-2036

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 27-07-2022

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2022; The Author(s).


Abstract

Introduction: Involuntary loss of urine caused by raised intraabdominal pressure during exercise, coughing, or sneezing is known as stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Urinary incontinence affects over a quarter of women between the ages of 30 and 60, with SUI accounting for roughly half of the cases. Aging, smoking, straining, obesity, and COPD are all risk factors that may result in incontinence. Conservative therapy such as lifestyle changes, pelvic floor muscle training, bladder training, and medications are used as the first line of treatment for SUI. Surgery is recommended for patients who have not improved with conservative measures. Many surgical procedures are described to correct SUI. The essential premise in the therapy of SUI is to create functional kinking of the mid-urethra during episodes of raised intra-abdominal pressure to ensure adequate suspension. Two important sling methods are developed in the last two decades. Transobturator vaginal tape (TOT) technique is anatomically accurate and has the potential to reduce obstruction and postoperative voiding dysfunction. For the surgical treatment of SUI, these mid-urethral sling techniques became the gold standard. Aims: To study the postoperative complications, outcomes, and quality of life of patients undergoing TOT. Subjects and methods: This study is conducted prospectively from October 2018 to August 2021 on 24 genuine SUI patients, who underwent transobturator sling surgery in the Urology Department, Yenepoya Medical College, Mangaluru. The patients underwent all baselines and special examinations, such as an urodynamic study and a cystopanendoscopy. For the first 6 months, patients were treated with conservative therapy such as lifestyle changes, bladder training, pelvic floor exercise, and medications (duloxetine, imipramine, estrogens). All the patients who had failed or were dissatisfied with conservative treatment underwent the TOT treatment. Results: In total, 24 patients were assessed in this study. The patients ranged in age from 36 to 50 years old, with a mean age of 42.3 years. A total of 23 (95.8%) of the 24 patients were multiparous. All of the patients experienced involuntary urine leakage during straining, with 20 (83.3%) having grade II symptoms and 22 (91.6%) having symptoms for more than 3 years. Preoperatively, six (25%) of the patients had a minor cystocele, which was cleared after surgery. Diabetes mellitus/hypertension were present in four (16.6%) of the patients. ALPP ranged from 94 to 110 cm of water. All patients had maximal flow rate of more than 20 mL/second and a PVRU of less than 50 mL. The quality of life improved after surgery from a mean of 12.4 to 2.1. Urine flow rate was more than 20 mL/second in 19 patients (79.1%) after surgery, and 15–20 mL/second in 5 patients (20.8%) which improved after 3 months to more than 20 mL/second. In 20 (83.3%) patients, PVR urine was less than 50 mL, and in 4 (16.6%), it was between 50 and 100 mL. At 6-month follow-up, 22 (91.6%) patients were completely satisfied with the surgical outcome, while 2 (8.3%) patients were only moderately satisfied. Conclusions: TOT sling is a successful surgical treatment option for SUI, with a good success rate, patient satisfaction, minimal morbidity, and a shorter hospital stay. Patients endure and accept TOT surgery well, and it provides a long-term cure for SUI patients. We advocate TOT as the therapy of choice for SUI because of its safety, ease of use, short surgical time, speedier recovery, minimum problems, and high success rates.


PDF Share
  1. Delorme E. Transobturator urethral suspension: miniinvasive procedure in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women. Prog Urol 2001;11(6):1306–1313. PMID: 11859672.
  2. de Leval J. Novel surgical technique for the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence: transobturator vaginal tape inside-out. Eur Urol 2003;44(6):724–730. DOI: 10.1016/j.eururo.2003.09.003.
  3. Moore RD, Miklos JR, Cervigni M, et al. Transobturator sling: combined analysis of 1 year follow-up in 9 countries with 266 patients: XV Congress of the International Society for Gynecologic Endoscopy. April 1. Argentina: Buenos Aires; 2006. p. 101–104.
  4. Taweel WA, Rabah DM. Transobturator tape for female stress incontinence: follow-up after 24 months. Can Urol Assoc J 2010;4(1):33–36. DOI: 10.5489/cuaj.08118.
  5. Purnichescu V, Cheret-Benoist A, Eboué C, et al. Surgical treatment for female stress urinary incontinence by transobturator tape (outside in). Study of 70 cases. J Gynecol Obstet Biol Reprod (Paris) 2007;36(5):451–458. DOI: 10.1016/j.jgyn.2007.04.001.
  6. Kim S, Bae J, Cho M, et al. Effect of preoperative flow rate on postoperative retention and voiding difficulty after transobturator tape operation. Korean J Urol 2014;55:190–195.
  7. Barry C, Lim YN, Muller R, et al. A multi-centre, randomised clinical control trial comparing the retropubic (RP) approach versus the transobturator approach (TO) for tension-free, suburethral sling treatment of urodynamic stress incontinence: the TORP study. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct 2008;19(2):171–178. DOI: 10.1007/s00192-007-0412-y.
  8. Schanz JP, Arriola PR, Fernández XT, et al. Transobturator tape (TOT) for female stress incontinence. Experience with three years follow-up in 200 patients. Actas Urol Esp 2007;31(10):1141–1147. DOI: 10.1016/s0210-4806(07)73777-4.
  9. Latthe PM, Patodi M, Constantine G. Transobturator tape procedure in stress urinary incontinence: UK experience of a district general hospital. J Obstet Gynaecol 2007;27(2):177–180. DOI: 10.1080/01443610601124471.
PDF Share
PDF Share

© Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) LTD.