Synthetic sling options for stress urinary incontinence

In the past decade, sling surgery has become the preferred technique for the management of female stress urinary incontinence. A greater understanding of the pathogenesis of stress urinary incontinence and a greater durability and effectiveness for sling surgery has allowed this technique to become the benchmark for treatment of female stress urinary incontinence. As a consequence, a multitude of products have been developed using various techniques and materials to perform sling surgery. This article reviews the materials and techniques available and the complications associated with each. Most importantly, the outcomes are discussed so that the readers can best understand the impact of these surgeries on our patients. © 2004, Current Science Inc.