Transobturator mid-urethral sling (TVT-O), a surgical treatment for stress urinary incontinence, has been shown to be highly effective in the short and medium term. However, long-term outcomes with larger sample sizes are lacking. The study is aimed at assessing the efficacy and safety of TVT-O over a 10-year follow-up period in Chinese women.
This prospective observational study included Chinese women who underwent TVT-O for urodynamic stress incontinence. Objective cure was defined as the absence of urodynamic stress incontinence on a urodynamic study, whereas a subjective cure was defined as the patient's perception of their condition. Quality of life (QOL) was assessed using the validated Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 questionnaire and the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7, along with the visual analogue scale (VAS).
A total of 326 Chinese women were included in the study. The objective and subjective cure rates at the 10-year follow-up were 75.2% and 73.6% respectively. Significant improvements were observed across all QOL domains. The mean VAS satisfaction score was 8.5 out of 10 after 10 years. Complications were uncommon; 2 women (0.6%) experienced tape erosion, one of whom required local excision. No patients reported persistent thigh pain after 10 years. The cumulative rate of repeating the mid-urethral sling procedure was 2.5%.
The TVT-O is a highly effective and safe surgical treatment for women with stress urinary incontinence at the 10-year follow-up. Thigh pain after TVT-O is rare and should not prevent women from considering this beneficial treatment.
International urogynecology journal. 2026 Mar 21 [Epub ahead of print]
Mei Chi Cheng, Yuk Sheung Fan, Willy Cecilia Cheon
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong. ., Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong.