A nationwide analysis of transvaginal tape release for urinary retention after tension-free vaginal tape procedure

The role of transvaginal release procedure (TRP) for the treatment of urinary retention after TVT operation in Finland by the end of the year 2002 was evaluated. Questionnaires regarding the TVTs and the TRPs were sent to 56 hospitals. A retrospective review of the records of 48 women undergoing the TRP was available for analysis. TVT was performed on 9040 patients under local (94%), spinal (4%) or general (2%) anesthesia. TRP was made under local (48%), light (48%) or spinal (4%) anesthesia. The number of TRPs was 50/9040 (0.6%) in the whole country. Forty-nine percent of the patients were completely cured of their retention and remained continent after TRP by subjective report and by stress test. The retention following a TVT did not resolve in four patients (12%) who underwent TRP. This nationwide analysis proved that half of the patients remained continent after TRP, which is in our opinion an important information for all proceduralists.