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Retropubic Versus Transobturator Slings—Are the Outcomes Changing with Time?

  • Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Voiding Dysfunction (G Badlani and H Goldman, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

The purpose of this review is to review the most current patient reported (subjective) and physician reported (objective) outcomes and adverse events associated with retropubic (RMUS) and transobturator (TMUS) mid-urethral slings. Since the two landmark meta-analyses published in 2010, four new RCT have been published and five have reported long-term outcomes comparing RMUS versus TMUS. Both RMUS and TMUS are safe and have efficacious longer-term outcomes. There is no difference between these slings’ subjective outcomes. There is still debate regarding whether RMUS is slightly superior when assessing objective outcomes. Although three trials showed no difference in objective outcomes, results from the largest trial show that RMUS is superior. Further analysis suggests that women with poor urethral function have less favorable outcomes with TMUS and may do better with RMUS. Adverse events are common, and they differ depending on the surgical approach. These new trials confirm previous reported adverse events.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Conflict of Interest

Dr. Paholo Barboglio Romo reported no potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

Dr. Elizabeth Ann Gormley is Chair of the Urinary Incontinence Treatment Network for NIH-NIDDH and reported receiving payment for manuscript preparation from Astellas.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Urology Department of Surgery, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, 1 Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH, 03756, USA

    Paholo G. Barboglio & E. Ann Gormley

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  1. Paholo G. Barboglio
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  2. E. Ann Gormley
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Correspondence to E. Ann Gormley.

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Barboglio, P.G., Gormley, E.A. Retropubic Versus Transobturator Slings—Are the Outcomes Changing with Time?. Curr Urol Rep 14, 386–394 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11934-013-0337-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11934-013-0337-6

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