A prospective study of a single-incision sling at the time of robotic sacrocolpopexy

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the Miniarc Precise® single-incision sling (American Medical Systems, Minnetonka, MN, USA) placed at the time of a robotic sacrocolpopexy. METHODS: This was a prospective study of a single-incision suburethral sling placed at the time of robotic sacrocolpopexy in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and pelvic organ prolapse. Primary outcome measure was cure at 1 year, defined objectively by a negative cough stress test (CST) and subjectively by a score of “0 or 1” on question 17 of the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI-20): “Do you experience urine leakage related to coughing/sneezing/laughing?” Secondary outcome measures included the change in Urinary Distress Inventory (UDI-6) and Urinary Impact Questionnaire (UIQ-7) scores at 1 year. All sling-related complications were reported. Paired Student’s t test and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: One hundred and one patients were included between August 2010 and July 2012. One-year follow-up was available for 97 out of 101 patients (96 %). Objective cure was 90 % and subjective cure was 87 %. Baseline UDI-6 scores improved from 34.8 ± 25.1 to 6.7 ± 11.2 at 1 year (p < 0.001). Similarly, UIQ-7 scores improved from 21.1 ± 22.8 to 2.4 ± 8.2 at 1 year (p < 0.001). There were no intraoperative cystotomies, no mesh erosions, no sling revisions, and no cases of urinary retention. The retreatment rate for persistent SUI was 8 % (8 out of 97). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of a single-incision suburethral sling at the time of robotic sacrocolpopexy in women with SUI resulted in an 87 % cure rate at 1 year.