Incisionless per vaginal bone anchor cystourethropexy for the treatment of female stress incontinence: experience with the first 50 patients.

PURPOSE

We evaluated the safety and efficacy of a new minimally invasive surgical procedure for the treatment of women with genuine stress urinary incontinence.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 50 women (mean age 51 years) was treated for type I or II stress urinary incontinence. A miniature bone anchor and a staple like bone anchor driver were used for fixation of periurethral tissue to the public bone.

RESULTS

The procedure was successfully performed in all patients without intraoperative bleeding. No significant persistent postoperative pain was noted and only 1 patient had urinary tract infection. Concomitant vaginal hysterectomy, cystocele repair or perineoplasty was performed in 33 cases. At 12-month followup 41 patients (82%) are completely continent, 7 patients (14%) reported more than 50% decrease in pad usage and 2 cases are considered surgical failures. Mean operative time was 28 minutes.

CONCLUSIONS

Data suggest that our new minimally invasive procedure provides a safe, effective and easy to learn alternative for treatment of women with anatomical stress incontinence.