Management of stress urinary incontinence using transobturator tape: a case series

Urinary incontinence is a health problem for women and the elderly, both physically and psychologically. To cure it, mid-urethral sling surgery is used. Moreover, the transobturator tape (TOT) appears to reduce the incidence of bladder injuries. This case series aims to assess the safety and efficacy of TOT at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital, Jakarta, Indonesia. We present eleven female patients diagnosed with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and complaints of involuntary leakage during sneezing, coughing, or laughing. All patients underwent a TOT operation, which included a coughing test, pad test, residual volume, and urinalysis to rule out the infection. Out of the eleven patients, eight showed the reported urinary leakage at the first follow-up, and three did not attend the follow-up. The pad test post-operative results from five patients were obtained: four patients revealed 0 g in their pad test, while one showed 3 g. No patient experienced sling erosion during control or follow-up management. The low erosion rate was due to the usage of type 1 polypropylene mashes (macropore, monofilament), and the procedure was done with the correct technique. The sling TOT procedure seems effective and has the potential to become the new gold standard in the management of true SUI with low morbidity.