Surgimesh M-SLING(®) transobturator and prepubic four-arm urethral sling for post-prostatectomy stress urinary incontinence: clinical prospective assessment at 24 months.

OBJECTIVE

To assess tolerance and mid-term clinical outcomes of treatment, with a new four-arm mesh sling, of post-prostatectomy incontinence (PPI) in men.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This was a French multicentre prospective study that included 93 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy at least 1 year before Surgimesh M-SLING(®) implantation for the treatment of PPI. Data were collected preoperatively, and patients were followed at 3, 12 and 24 months postoperatively. Objective outcome measures included number of pads per day, 24-h pad-test, maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax ) and urinary retention. We also analysed Urinary Symptom Profile (USP(®) ) score, degree of erectile dysfunction, patients' satisfaction level, postoperative pain and procedure complications. Length of catheterization and hospitalization periods were also recorded. Patients were considered cured if no protection was used and/or daily pad weight was <2 g. Patients whose condition was considered to have improved reduced their daily urinary losses by >50%. Those not included in any of the aforementioned groups were assessed as unchanged or to have deteriorated, and were considered as treatment failures.

RESULTS

The mean hospitalization period was 1.57 ± 0.70 days. All patients remained catheterized for 1.17 ± 0.48 days. Intention-to-treat analysis at 24 months showed that 34.4% of patients were cured, 27.1% had improved, and 19.4% were considered failures. Two patients experienced transient urinary retention. USP questionnaire scores showed a significant decrease in incontinence and prevalence of hyperactive bladder. There was a nonsignificant tendency for reduced severe erectile dysfunction (ED), and a shift towards moderate ED was observed. No severe complications occurred.

CONCLUSION

The Surgimesh M-SLING transobturator and prepubic four-arm urethral sling represents an easy-to-deploy, safe and durable therapeutic alternative for mild to moderate PPI. Its implantation did not have a negative influence on sexual performance outcomes.