Patient satisfaction after retropubic and transobturator slings: first assessment using the Incontinence Outcome Questionnaire (IOQ).

Introduction And Hypothesis: The aim of the Incontinence Outcome Questionnaire (IOQ) is to assess quality of life and patient-reported outcome after midurethral slings.

Methods: In this retrospective study, 626 patients with a minimum follow-up period of 1 year were sent the IOQ. Four hundred twenty-two of 626 (67.4%) patient responses were evaluated.

Results: The mean IOQ QoL extended score was 33.7 ± 17.5 and comparable for tension-free vaginal tape (TVT), outside-in transobturator tape (TOT), and inside-out transobturator vaginal tape (TVT-O). Evaluation of IOQ question about readmission revealed a total of 32 patients (18 TVT, 12 TOT, and 2 TVT-O) who underwent a subsequent operation due to sling-related complications. Freedom from reoperation for recurrent SUI at 1, 2, and 5 years was 100%, 99.7 ± 0.3%, and 99.7 ± 0.3% for TVT, 100% for TVT-O, and 94.2 ± 2.5%, 91.9 ± 2.9%, and 89.9 ± 3.5% for TOT, respectively (p < 0.001).

Conclusions: Patient satisfaction, assessed using the IOQ, is high after retropubic and transobturator slings. In our collective, relapse incontinence is higher after TOT.