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Tension-Free Vaginal Tape Appears to Significantly Improve Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

By Jerry Ingram

SAN ANTONIO, TX -- June 3, 2005 -- Tension-free vaginal tape appears to have a positive impact on stress incontinence as well as other symptoms of lower urinary tract disorders.

Chad P. Huckabay, MD, Fellow, Department of Urology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States, presented the finding here on May 23^rd at the American Urologic Society (AUA) Annual Meeting.

Dr. Huckabay and colleagues enrolled 57 patients to assess the impact of tension-free vaginal tape on lower urinary tract symptoms using the AUA Symptom Index (AUASI). One surgeon performed all surgeries for placement of TVT.

Three women required a second tension-free vaginal tape and none experienced significant prolapse.

Clinicians evaluated patient urodynamic stress urinary incontinence. The surgeon completed the AUASI before and after surgery, classifying patient scores according to total score, storage symptom score and voiding symptom score. The researchers also compared scores between patients considered to have mixed urinary incontinence with those who had pure stress urinary incontinence.

Twenty patients experienced mixed urinary incontinence; 20% of these had detrusor overactivity. A second group of 36 women had pure stress urinary incontinence.

Overall mean absolute change in AUASI total score was 7.2 points (95% CI 5.6-8.8) with a statistically significant change occurring in all categories except the voiding scores, Dr. Huckabay stated. However, there was no significant difference in pre- and post-operative total scores in subjects with mixed urinary incontinence.

Post-operative total score and storage symptom score in subjects with stress urinary incontinence were significantly lower than those with mixed urinary incontinence (P = .02 and P = .04).

The more noticeable decline in post-operative total score occurred in patients with stress urinary incontinence, a finding that approached significance with a statistical value of P = .059.

The investigators conclude that lower urinary tract symptoms assessed by the AUASI are significantly improved following the tension-free vaginal tape with noteworthy improvements occurring in patients' storage scores.


[Effect of Tension-Free Vaginal Tape on Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Other Than Stress Incontinence. Abstract 925]

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