Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of transobturator sling operation on patients with post prostatectomy incontinence. Material and Method: Transobturator sling procedures were performed on 27 incontinent, post prostatectomy patients between 2007 and 2012. The degree of incontinence was determined by the number of pads used daily. 1-2 pads/day, 3-5 pads/day and >5 pads/day were classified as mild, moderate, severe incontinence, respectively. During the followup for the transobturator sling operation; the continent patients with no need for pads, <2 pads/day and less than 50% decrease in the total numbers of pads used daily were classified as ‘dry’, ‘clinical improvement’ and ‘failure’, respectively. Findings: On 3rd postoperative month; 9 patients (33,4%) were completely dry, 7(25,9%) had clinical improvement and 11 patients(40,7%) experienced no difference compared with the preoperative period. There was a statistically significant difference between the preoperative and postoperative ALPP (abdominal leak point pressure) values and pads used daily (p<0,05). On 12th month followup, moderate incontinence was detected on 3 patients with retropubic radical prostatectomy; one with clinical improvement and two being dry on the 3rd postoperative month. When the success rates were evaluated according to the level of incontinence; 100%, 44,3% and 0% success rates were observed for mild, moderate and severe incontinence, respectively. Conclusion: Transobturator sling method is a reasonable choice for selected post prostatectomy patients with mild-moderate incontinence. It’s noteworthy that patients having radical prostatectomy as the etiologic factor for urinary incontinence, this procedure has lower success rates.