Quality of life and continence 1 year after the tension-free vaginal tape operation

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes in condition-specific and generic quality of life (QOL) and continence rates 1 year after the tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) operation for stress urinary incontinence. Study design A total of 99 patients undergoing the TVT operation underwent clinical and urodynamic assessment and completed the German language Kingʹs Health Questionnaire (KHQ) and the Short Form 36 (SF-36) before and 3 and 12 months after surgery. Overall, 72 TVTs were performed as isolated procedure and 27 in combination with other operations. Data were analyzed with the Chi-square test, analyses of variance, and the Tukey test. Results Overall, the objective continence rate was 80% at 1 year and did not differ significantly between patients with or without concomitant surgery. Significant and clinically relevant (>10 points) improvements were seen in all domains of the KHQ except General Health perception. The SF-36 showed statistically significant but not clinically significant improvement. Conclusion The TVT operation is associated with improved condition-specific QOL in women with stress urinary incontinence. The condition-specific KHQ is more appropriate than the generic SF-36 for evaluating treatment results in women treated for incontinence.