The ability of history and a negative cough stress test to detect occult stress incontinence in patients undergoing surgical repair of advanced pelvic organ prolapse.

To determine if a negative preoperative reduction cough stress test is a viable method of detecting occult stress incontinence or urge incontinence in women undergoing surgical repair of advanced pelvic organ prolapse. A retrospective chart review was done on all patients who denied any urinary complaints and had repair of advanced pelvic organ prolapse, grade two or greater, without the addition of an anti-incontinence procedure. Additionally patients had a simple office filling study done at the time of initial examination that failed to show the sign of stress incontinence or detrusor instability. Any urinary dysfunction that developed postoperatively was noted. A total of 53 patients met the inclusion criteria. Of these patients, one patient (1.9%) developed genuine stress incontinence, and one patient complained of urgency (1.9%). Patients without urinary complaints and a negative office filling study, who were present for surgical correction of advanced pelvic organ prolapse, have a low incidence of developing occult stress incontinence. Further work-up would not be cost effective.

The efficacy of the tension-free vaginal tape in the treatment of five subtypes of stress urinary incontinence.

PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy of tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) for the treatment of five sub-types of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was performed from November 1998 to November 2001 on all patients with SUI who underwent a TVT procedure either alone or with other reconstructive pelvic procedures. The patients were subdivided into five categories. Intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD) was defined by a maximum urethral closure pressure < 20 cm H2O or a mean Valsalva leak point pressure < 60 cm H2O above baseline. Urethral hypermobility (UH) was defined by a straining Q-tip angle greater than 30 degrees from the horizontal. Cure was defined as the subjective resolution of SUI without the development of voiding dysfunction or de novo urge incontinence. Improvement was defined as the subjective improvement of SUI without complete resolution or the subjective resolution of SUI occurring with the development of prolonged voiding dysfunction lasting greater than 6 weeks or de novo urge incontinence. Failure was defined as the subjective lack of improvement of SUI, the need for an additional procedure to correct SUI or the need for revision or takedown of the TVT for persistent voiding dysfunction or mesh erosion. RESULTS: The cure, improvement and failure rates for each of the following groups are respectively as follows: group 1 (+UH, -ISD) (n = 121): 101 (83.5%), 13 (10.7%), 7 (5.8%); group 2 (-UH, +ISD) (n = 22): 17 (77.3%), 3 (13.6%), 2 (9.1%); group 3 (+UH, +ISD) (n = 32): 26 (81.3%), 4 (12.5%), 2 (6.2%); group 4 (-UH, -ISD) (n = 25): 21 (84.0%), 3 (12.0%), 1 (4.0%); group 5 (occult SUI) (n = 67): 57 (85.1%), 10 (14.9%), 0 (0%). CONCLUSION: This study shows that the TVT is effective in treating all five sub-types of SUI.