Stress urinary incontinence procedures

Stress urinary incontinence procedures

Stress urinary incontinence procedures

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💪 Anatomy - Pelvic Floor Power

  • Pelvic Diaphragm: The primary support "hammock" for pelvic organs.
    • Levator Ani: Puborectalis, pubococcygeus, iliococcygeus.
    • Coccygeus muscle.
  • Innervation: Pudendal nerve (S2-S4). Damage during childbirth is a key risk factor for weakness.
  • Urethral Support: The diaphragm provides a stable suburethral layer, preventing descent during ↑ intra-abdominal pressure.

Pelvic floor muscles: piriformis, coccygeus, levator ani

⭐ The endopelvic fascia provides passive support, while the levator ani provides active, dynamic support. SUI results from failure of one or both systems.

💧 Pathophysiology - Leaky Faucet Logic

The core issue is when intra-abdominal pressure ($P_{abd}$) exceeds urethral closure pressure ($P_{ure}$).

  • Urethral Hypermobility: Loss of pelvic floor & fascial support.
  • Intrinsic Sphincter Deficiency (ISD): Weak urethral sphincter muscle.

⭐ Hypermobility causes loss of the posterior urethrovesical angle, preventing the "backboard" support that normally compresses the urethra during stress.

🩺 Diagnosis - The Cough Test

  • Objective: Directly visualize urine loss with ↑ intra-abdominal pressure.
  • Setup: Patient in lithotomy or standing position with a comfortably full bladder.
  • Action & Finding: Patient coughs forcefully. Simultaneous urine leakage from the meatus is a positive test for SUI.

⭐ Delayed or persistent leakage after the cough suggests detrusor overactivity (urgency incontinence), not pure SUI.

🛠️ Management - Sling It Right

  • Mid-urethral Slings (MUS): Gold standard for SUI due to high efficacy and minimally invasive nature. A synthetic mesh tape is placed under the mid-urethra to provide support during ↑ intra-abdominal pressure.
ProcedureApproach & MechanismKey Complications
Retropubic (TVT)Mesh passes behind pubic bone. "Top-down" or "bottom-up".Bladder/bowel perforation, voiding dysfunction, hematoma.
Transobturator (TOT)Mesh passes through obturator foramen, avoiding retropubic space.Groin/thigh pain (obturator nerve), less bladder injury.
Burch ColposuspensionAbdominal approach. Sutures attach paraurethral tissue to Cooper's ligament.Higher surgical morbidity, posterior prolapse, de novo urgency.

⭐ The choice between Retropubic (TVT) and Transobturator (TOT) slings involves a trade-off: TVT offers slightly higher cure rates but with an increased risk of bladder perforation and postoperative voiding dysfunction.

Retropubic vs. Transobturator Sling: Pros & Cons for SUI

⚠️ Complications - Post-Op Pitfalls

  • Urinary Retention: Common, often transient. May require temporary catheterization if post-void residual (PVR) is high.
  • De Novo Urgency: New onset urge incontinence. Manage with behavioral therapy, anticholinergics, or beta-3 agonists.
  • Mesh Complications (Slings): Erosion into vagina/bladder, chronic pain, infection, dyspareunia.
  • Intra-op Injury: Bladder (most common), urethra, bowel, vascular.
  • Persistent/Recurrent SUI: Procedure failure.

⭐ Bladder injury is the most common intraoperative complication of retropubic mid-urethral slings. Suspect with post-op hematuria or inability to void. Confirm with cystoscopy.

⚡ Biggest Takeaways

  • SUI results from urethral hypermobility or intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD).
  • Mid-urethral slings (MUS) are the gold standard, supporting the mid-urethra.
  • Retropubic (TVT) slings risk bladder/vascular injury; Transobturator (TOT) slings risk groin pain/nerve injury.
  • Burch colposuspension attaches the vagina to Cooper's ligament; less common now.
  • Urethral bulking agents are a less invasive option for poor surgical candidates or ISD.
  • Key complications: urinary retention, mesh erosion, de novo urgency.

Practice Questions: Stress urinary incontinence procedures

Test your understanding with these related questions

A 53-year-old multiparous woman is scheduled to undergo elective sling surgery for treatment of stress incontinence. She has frequent loss of small amounts of urine when she coughs or laughs, despite attempts at conservative treatment. The physician inserts trocars in the obturator foramen bilaterally to make the incision and passes a mesh around the pubic bones and underneath the urethra to form a sling. During the procedure, the physician accidentally injures a nerve in the obturator foramen. The function of which of the following muscles is most likely to be affected following the procedure?

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Flashcards: Stress urinary incontinence procedures

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Anterior urethral injuries are typically caused by a _____ injury

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Anterior urethral injuries are typically caused by a _____ injury

perineal straddle

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