Complications and their treatment after midurethral tape implantation using retropubic and transobturator approaches for treatment of female stress urinary incontinence

INTRODUCTION: Midurethral tape implantation procedures currently are the first-line treatment for female stress urinary incontinence (SUI). AIM: To estimate the most common intraoperative and postoperative complications and their treatment methods after midurethral tape implantation using retropubic (tension-free vaginal tape – TVT) and transobturator (TOT) approaches for the treatment of female SUI. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective descriptive study was performed on 367 women operated on due to SUI in the period from 2004 to 2015. The SUI diagnosis was confirmed by clinical history and physical examination. According to the surgical technique that was chosen for SUI treatment, all the patients were divided into two groups: the TVT group (n = 112) and the TOT group (n = 255). RESULTS: In total, in 31 (8.45%) of 367 patients complications were observed after midurethral tape implantation. In the TVT group 18 (16.07%) of 112 patients experienced surgery-related complications compared to 13 (5.1%) of 255 patients in the TOT group (p = 0.0005). The most common intraoperative complication in the TVT group was bladder perforation. In the TOT group we had only occasional intraoperative complications. Acute urinary retention was the most common postoperative complication in both groups. It was observed in 13 (11.6%) patients in the TVT group and in 5 (1.96%) patients in the TOT group. CONCLUSIONS: The advantage of midurethral tape implantation using the TOT technique is that it is associated with lower incidence of intraoperative and postoperative complications compared to TVT. The most common complication in our series was acute postoperative urinary retention, which usually required an additional tape loosening procedure.