[Some complications of tension-free midurethral tapes for the treatment of stress incontinence in women].

Complications occurred in two women of 45 and 54 years of age who were treated with tension-free midurethral sling procedures. The first woman was treated with transobturator tape due to stress incontinence and an overactive bladder. The procedure resulted in a worsening of the overactive bladder. The second woman was treated with tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) due to stress incontinence and subsequently suffered from pain on urinating. In the first patient, the tape was found to be too tight and following adjustment of the tape tension, the overactive bladder symptoms and the stress incontinence disappeared. The second woman experienced bladder erosion on the right side. After removal of the tape, the symptoms disappeared but the stress incontinence returned. During the last few years, the surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence has shifted towards the positioning of tension-free tapes. Because this minimally invasive technique is fairly simple to perform, the number of anti-incontinence surgical procedures has increased threefold in the last 4 years in the Netherlands. The literature states high success rates and low complication percentages. However, in everyday practice, these results cannot always be achieved. Doctors should therefore show caution when selecting patients for tension-free midurethral tape procedures. Furthermore, patient information should clearly indicate the actual results. Initial treatment for stress incontinence should consist of intensive pelvic floor muscle training.