Retropubic long-needle suspension procedures for stress urinary incontinence.

A brief review of the Pereyra and the Stamey procedures and their modifications, including success rates and potential problems, is presented. A new modified technique is described that has potential advantages of ease, rapidity, less dissection, and less blood loss than may be seen with the modified Pereyra procedure and less chance of foreign body reaction than may be seen with the Stamey procedure. Twenty patients with significant stress urinary incontinence (14 with concurrent severe pelvic relaxation) underwent the procedure with an 80% cure plus 5% significant improvement rate noted 12 to 39 months after operation. All failures occurred in patients who were obese and involved apparent suture pull-through. Complications were minimal. Suggested causes for failures are discussed.