Comparison of Laparoscopic Burch and Tension-Free Vaginal Tape in Treating Stress Urinary Incontinence in Obese Patients

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of the tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) and laparoscopic Burch procedures in treating genuine stress urinary incontinence in obese patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective evaluation of 91 consecutive cases of TVT alone or TVT combined with other procedures from April 1999 through March 2000 and 51 consecutive cases of the laparoscopic Burch procedure from January 1998 through February 1999. All procedures were performed in a private practice and community hospitals in the midwest. One hundred forty-two women (ages 34 to 79) with stress urinary incontinence documented by clinical examination and preoperative cystometric and urodynamic evaluation were included in the study. They were also divided into 5 groups based on their body mass index (BMI): NL (normal-BMI < 25), OW (overweight-BMI 25 to 29), OBI (obesity I-BMI 30 to 34), OBII (obesity II-BMI 35 to 39), OBIII (obesity III-BMI > 40). In the TVT group, 66% were obese (OBI-21, OBII-17, OBIII-22) versus 36% in the laparoscopic Burch (OBI-13, OBII-5) group. RESULTS: All TVT patients remain cured or symptoms improved in their genuine stress urinary incontinence, which favorably compares with the laparoscopic Burch procedure after 1 year. Operating time for the TVT portion ranged from 18 to 40 minutes. The laparoscopic Burch procedure in general took over 1 hour. No bladder, bowel, or vascular injuries have occurred in the TVT group. Superficial suprapubic ecchymoses have occurred in the TVT group occasionally but required no intervention. The average length of stay was 1 day; TVT-only patients usually were released on the same day. Ninety percent of patients were voiding normally by postoperative day 7. Most of the patients with continued urinary retention had had combined procedures. CONCLUSIONS: This preliminary study indicates that TVT is a safer, more effective, and easier minimally invasive surgery for genuine stress urinary incontinence regardless of the patients' BMI and favorably compares with the laparoscopic Burch procedure, which requires advanced surgical skills.