In a nutshell
This study examined the safety and effectiveness of the Altis vaginal sling procedure at 2 years. Researchers reported good safety and high rates of continence at 2 years.
Some background
Vaginal sling procedures are the most common type of surgery used to help control stress urinary incontinence. They involve the placement of a thin mesh tape to lift the urethra into its normal position. Advances in surgical techniques and sling devices have led to procedures being more efficient and easier to tolerate. The newest generation of vaginal slings are minimally invasive single-incision slings. These require only a single incision through the vagina to place the sling, compared to three incisions (one vaginal and two through the groin) used in more traditional techniques. The Altis sling is a recently developed single-incision vaginal sling. Its long-term effectiveness is still being investigated.
Methods & findings
113 women with stress urinary incontinence were included in this study. All women were treated with the Altis sling. Treatment outcomes were followed over 2 years.
83.2% of women were available at the 2-year follow-up. Of these, 41.5% of women also had urinary urgency (sudden compelling desire to pass urine).
90% of women had a reduction in incontinence pad weight of at least 50% compared to pad weight before the procedure. The average reduction in pad weight was 96.1%. At 2 years, 81.1% of women were considered continent based on incontinence pad weight. 87.9% of women were considered continent based on a cough stress test. 89.4% of women self-reported continence. 90.4% of women reported feeling “very much better” or “much better” at 2 years.
The average procedure time was 12.8 minutes. 31 side effects were reported. Of these, 58.1% occurred within 3 days of the procedure and the rest within the first year.
The bottom line
Researchers concluded that the Altis procedure is associated with good safety, effectiveness, and patient satisfaction at 2 years.
The fine print
Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Published By :
Neurourology and urodynamics
Date :
Oct 29, 2016
