Ultrasonographic assessment of tape location following tension‐free vaginal tape and transobturator tape procedure

Abstract

Background. The purpose of this study was to perform an ultrasonographic comparison of tension‐free vaginal tape (TVT) and the TVT‐obturator (TVT‐O) procedure in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Methods. We retrospectively reviewed 159 women with SUI undergoing either TVT (n = 91) or TVT‐O (n = 68). All subjects underwent perineal ultrasonographies, pelvic examination, urinalyses, 1‐h pad tests, multichannel urodynamic studies and a personal interview using the Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Questionnaire before and 1 year after surgery. Results. At rest or during Valsalva, the middle of the TVT‐O tape localised more distally than the TVT on ultrasound (ppppp = 0.042). There was no statistical difference between the 2 groups regarding patient characteristics and complication rates. Conclusions. TVT‐O tape results in a less acute angle and localises to a more distal part of the urethra, resulting in less urethral compression and a lower rate of urethral dynamic kinking.