Experience with silastic slings for female urinary incontinence

Symptoms of voiding dysfunction: what do they really mean?

Many women presenting with pelvic floor dysfunction will complain of voiding symptoms. This study examines the relationship between such symptoms and uroflowmetry parameters in 414 women with complaints of pelvic floor dysfunction who underwent free uroflowmetry with a weight transducer type flowmeter. Symptoms of voiding dysfunction were ascertained by interview, with symptoms rated positive if they occurred more than occasionally. Symptoms were correlated with maximum urine flow rate and maximum urine flow rate centiles: 356 women voided between 50 and 600 ml; these datasets were used for analysis. Average age was 57.4 years (range: 17-86). Symptoms of voiding dysfunction were common (62%): 26% of women described hesitancy, 28% a poor stream, 26% stop- start voiding, 15% straining to void, and 35% incomplete emptying/need to revoid. As a group, symptoms of voiding dysfunction were associated with reduced maximum urine flow rate centiles (28.1 vs 36.3, p= 0.011). The strength of the association varied markedly, with only hesitancy (p=0.002), poor stream (p<0.001), and stop-start voiding (p=0.014) reaching significance. Hesitancy, poor stream, and stop-start voiding were the only symptoms predictive of voiding impairment. Straining to void and the sensation of incomplete emptying or the need to revoid were not associated with a significant reduction in maximum flow rate centiles.

Sinus formation after insertion of a silicone-coated suburethral sling

We report the case of a 65-year-old woman who developed a sinus tract after a suburethral synthetic silicone mesh sling placement. After removal of the sling material with debridement and reconstruction of the suburethral tissue, fascia lata harvest with a sling to abdominal rectus fascia was performed. Silicone mesh may erode to form a sinus tract if used as suburethral sling material.

Tolerance of synthetic tissues in touch with vaginal scars: review to the point of 287 cases

With an experience of 287 vaginal way operations using synthetic material, the authors make a review about the tolerance of the tissues. Three tissues were used (polytetrafluoroethylene, Dacron and Lyodura). The procedures are: Mouchel, big and small slings, Stamey and para vaginal refect procedures. At 30 months, the tolerance is 70% for Mouchel and 90% for sling procedures. The rejection rate with Dacron is globally 19.3% vs. 30.3% for Gore Tex . The authors describe materials' history, clinical symptoms and histopathologic signs of the intolerance. They think that the synthetic tissue tolerance is proportional to the exhibit surface and to the distance which separates it from the scar. The substratum of the intolerance process answers with two explanations: infection and foreign body reaction. Different theories are explained. Infection can be an ethiologic factor in early rejection. With rigid material, a small ulcer is formed and serves as a nidus for an ascending infection. Foreign material acts as an adjuvant by decreasing the number of bacteria necessary to produce an infection. The tissue reaction may be an immune response to Dacron, a delayed hypersensitivity reaction, or a graft vs. host antigen-antibody reaction. The ideal synthetic mesh material for pelvic surgery has yet to be developed.

Ureteric injury at Burch colposuspension. 4 case reports and literature review

The Burch colposuspension operation is an accepted and effective technique for the correction of genuine stress incontinence. It is, however, associated with a number of well-recognized complications. Ureteric injury at the time of colposuspension is a potentially severe, if uncommon, complication of this procedure with legal ramifications for the surgeon as well as health risks for the patient. To date, only 19 cases have been described in the literature. This paper highlights 4 cases of this injury occurring amongst the patients of 1 urogynaecologist (2) and gives an incidence for its occurrence as well as discussing the aetiology and management of this complication.

Abdomino perineal repair of pulsion enterocele

OBJECTIVES

To review the techniques, results and complications of the combined abdomino perineal repair and mersilene mesh sacrocolpopexy.

METHODS

From March 1988 to December 1993; 45 cases of pulsion enterocele were treated by a combination of the Zacharin type abdomino perineal repair and mersilene mesh sacrocolpopexy. Forty cases were followed from between 1 month and 18 months (mean 5.95 months). The notes were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTS

There were 3 recurrences (7.5%). Complications were not insignificant: wound infection in 3, urinary tract infection in 6, bowel dysfunction in 8, ventral hernia, vaginal stricture necessitating surgical release, and brachial nerve plexus injury occurred once. In one patient a peritoneal cyst developed necessitating laparoscopic aspiration.

CONCLUSIONS

The combined abdomino perineal and sacrocolpopexy procedure offers the restoration of normal anatomy and the relief of the symptoms of prolapse in 92.5% of patients. The complication rate is significant and it should be undertaken as a secondary procedure.

Impaired bladder emptying in women

The clinical and urodynamic findings in 1,193 consecutive women referred for investigation of urinary incontinence and other urinary symptoms were reviewed. Impaired bladder emptying was defined as a repeated maximum flow rate below 15 ml/second or a residual urine volume of 150 ml or more. One hundred and sixty-five women were diagnosed as having voiding dysfunction. Fifty-six of the 165 women (34%) had a residual urine volume of 150 ml or more. Voiding dysfunction was the only abnormal urodynamic finding in 27 women and was associated with genuine stress incontinence, detrusor instability or bladder hypersensitivity in a further 138 patients. Overflow incontinence was diagnosed in 7 women (0.5%). Symptoms of impaired bladder emptying were significantly more common in women with proven voiding dysfunction but were absent in a third of these patients. One in 4 women with normal micturition had symptoms of voiding difficulty. Neurological disease, pelvic surgery and psychological factors were important causes of voiding dysfunction. Voiding disorders are a common cause of lower urinary tract dysfunction and should be an important consideration in future patient management.