Efficacy and Adverse Effects After Single-Incision Slings for Women with Stress Urinary Incontinence: A 12-Year Follow-Up

OBJECTIVE: Single-incision slings (SISs) are not considered the first surgical choice for stress urinary incontinence due to few data about long-term results. Our aim was to evaluate the outcomes of SISs 12 years after implantation and to search for consequences such as deterioration after a certain amount of time. METHODS: We included women with stress urinary incontinence both clinically and urodynamically proven who underwent SISs procedure. Objective and subjective cure rates were compared to short-term outcomes to detect possible deterioration over time. RESULTS: A total of 85 patients were analysed with a median follow-up of 12.0 (IQR 10.4–12.8) years. Objective and subjective cure rates were 81.0% and 82.1%, respectively. Median (IQR) PGI-I scores and ICIQ-SF, respectively, were 1 (1–2) and 0 (0–6.8). No significant deterioration of outcomes over time was shown after comparison between short-term and long-term follow-ups (objective cure rate 84.5% vs 81.0%, p=0.684; subjective cure rates 92.9% vs 82.1%, p=0.060). Also, voiding symptoms and overactive bladder did not differ over time (20.2% vs 21.4%, p=1.000; 20.2% vs 33.3%, p=0.080, respectively). CONCLUSION: SISs were shown to be a procedure with a great efficacy and safety profile at very long-term follow-up.