Long-Term Outcomes Associated with the Use of a Soft, Partially Absorbable Transobturator Mid-Urethral Tape for the Treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence

Objectives: To assess the long-term safety and efficacy of the Serasis^® inside-out transobturator midurethral sling (MUS), a partially absorbable soft tape for stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Methods: A cohort study of 146 consecutive women who underwent the Serasis^® MUS procedure from January 2013 to January 2014 was investigated. All patients had SUI as the main complaint. Patients with predominant urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) and stage III-IV pelvic organ prolapse were excluded. Clinical, intraoperative, and postoperative data were retrospectively retrieved from a computerized database. At 10 years postoperatively, a follow-up telephone survey was conducted. The patients were interviewed regarding tape-related complications, repeated SUI surgery, and decision regret or satisfaction. Results: All patients underwent the Serasis^® MUS procedure, most of whom also had concomitant colporrhaphies. The mean duration of surgery was 26.03 min, and the mean blood loss was 32.4 cc. All patients were discharged within a few hours after surgery or on the following day. No significant intraoperative or early postoperative complications were reported. Overall, 107 (73.3%) patients were available for the 10-year follow-up, 17 (15.9%) of whom reported symptoms of SUI, but only half of them underwent a repeated MUS. The rate of tape erosion was 1.9%, and no symptoms of tape-related pain were reported. Additionally, 10.3% of the patients were categorized as a subjective failure, most of whom considered persistent UUI as the main reason for dissatisfaction. Conclusions: The long-term outcomes of the transobturator Serasis^® MUS, a partially absorbable soft tape, are favorable and are associated with significantly fewer tape-related complications.