Evaluation of early and long-term outcomes of mid-urethral sling procedure for the treatment of urinary incontinence

Evaluation of early and long-term outcomes of mid-urethral sling procedure for the treatment of urinary incontinence AIM: This study aims to compare the subjective and objective success rates and complications of TOT, TVT, and mini-sling surgical methods by evaluating the short- and long-term complications and quality of life scale questionnaires of patients who underwent midurethral sling surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data from 272 patients with stress and mixed urinary incontinence who underwent midurethral sling surgery at the Obstetrics Clinic of Sakarya University Education and Research Hospital between January 2016 and June 2024 were retrospectively evaluated. 113 patients were included in the study: 100 patients in TOT group, 5 patients in TVT group, and 8 patients in mini-sling group. The patients' postoperative outcomes, such as mesh erosion, residual urine, and responses to the Turkish-validated IIQ-7 and UDI-6 quality of life scales were evaluated. All calculations were performed using ready-made statistical software (IBM SPSS Statistics, Version 30.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.). RESULTS: Of the 113 patients, 74 (65.5%) had stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and 39 (34.5%) had mixed urinary incontinence. No urinary or vascular injury was observed in any of the patients. Four patients (3.5%) received blood transfusions due to low hemoglobin levels in the postoperative period. De novo urge incontinence developed in 5 cases (6.2%) and mesh erosion developed in 4 cases (3.5%) undergoing surgery. Improvement in urinary symptoms was observed in all groups, particularly in TOT group. A significant improvement was seen in the responses to the IIQ-7 and UDI-6 forms. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, TOT, TVT, and mini-sling procedures are reliable and effective methods for SUI treatment. There is a need for randomized controlled trials involving a larger number of patients, designed to evaluate the long-term results taking into account the effects of new chronic diseases and menaopause that may arise in the postoperative period as patients age. Keywords: IIQ-7, stress urinary incontinence, UDI-6