Complications of female urinary incontinence surgery with mini-sling system

Objective: To evaluate the complications of urinary incontinence (UI) surgery with mini-sling system. Describe its diagnosis and management. Material and method: We make a descriptive analysis of the complications of the surgery in a group of 155 women with UI surgically treated with minisling system (50 TVT-Secur and 105 MiniArc) from October 2006 to November 2008. All patients were evaluated with clinical history, physical examination and two questionnaires of QoL (ICIQ-SF and EQ-5D). When urethral obstruction was suspected, we included urineculture, post-void residual urine measurement and urodinamycs. The complications were grouped into three cathegories: intraoperatory, early (within de first month after surgery) and late complications (after a month). We use the SPSS program (V 14.0) for statistical analysis of the results. Results: The average age was 56 years (range 33-82) and 180 days for the following-up (range 26-817). We had a complication rate of 20% (22% TVT-Secur, 17% MiniArc). We reported one intraoperatory complication corresponding to a bladder perforation (0.64%), managed conservatively with catheterization. All early complications were reported in the MiniArc group: one obturator fossa hematoma (0.64%) spontaneously resolved, groin pain in 4 patients (2.5%) successfully treated with NSAIDs and one urethral obstruction (0.64%) that required mesh cutting. Late complications included: 8 vaginal erosions (5%), 4 required tape excison and vaginal wall closure; 2 were treated with vaginal estrogens, and the other 2 were asymptomatic so we did nothing. 6 patients (3.8%) showed urethral obstruction: we performed mesh cutting in 5, whereas one patient improved with intermittent catheterization. Urge symptoms were reported in 10 patients (6.45%) and successfully managed with anticholinergic agents. 2 patients suffered from recurrent infections (1.3%) confirmed by antibiogram, treating isolated episodes. Conclusions: Urinary incontinence surgery with mini-sling system is not free of complications (20%). Most of them are mild and can be successfully treated conservatively. (C) 2009 AEU. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.