Factors influencing outcome following the tension-free vaginal tape (TVT).

Objective: To evaluate factors influencing the outcome with tension-free vaginal tape (TVT).

Methods: A prospective questionnaire survey of 100 women undergoing TVT between January 2006 and May 2007 for urodynamic stress incontinence. All women were assessed pre-operatively and 3 months post-operatively using a validated electronic pelvic floor symptoms assessment questionnaire (ePAQ). Using linear regression, the influence of age, severity of stress incontinence and pre-existing lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) were assessed on symptomatic improvement of stress urinary incontinence and on quality of life (QoL).

Results: Women with more severe symptoms preoperatively had a significantly greater improvement in stress incontinence symptoms (p<0.001) and quality of life (p=0.016). Age and pre-existing LUTS were not associated with adverse outcomes with surgery in terms of improvement in stress incontinence or quality of life.

Conclusions: Women with more severe stress urinary incontinence may expect greater improvement, both in their stress incontinence and their health-related quality of life (HRQoL) following a TVT. Age and coexisting lower urinary tract symptoms do not impact significantly on TVT outcomes in terms of the reduction in stress incontinence or improvement in HRQoL.