The TVT Worldwide Observational Registry for Long-Term Data:
Safety and Efficacy of Suburethral Sling Insertion Approaches for
Stress Urinary Incontinence in Women
Douglas G. Tincello,* Theunis Botha, Douglas Grier, Peter Jones,
Dhinagar Subramanian, Colin Urquhart, Aaron Kirkemo and Salil Khandwala for the
TVT Worldwide Registry Investigators
From the University of Leicester and Leicester General Hospital (DGT), Leicester and Clinical Development (PJ, CU) and Health Economics
and Reimbursement (DS), Evidence Based Medicine, Ethicon, Livingston, United Kingdom, Arwyp Medical Centre (TB), Kempton Park, South
Africa, Sound Urology (DG), Edmonds, Washington, Medical Affairs, Evidence Based Medicine (AK), Ethicon, Somerville, New Jersey, and
Division of Urogynecology, Oakwood Hospital (SK), Dearborn, Michigan
Abbreviations
and Acronyms
BMI = body mass index
CST = standing cough stress test
EQ-5D = EuroQol
FAS = full analysis set
I-QOL = Incontinence Quality of
Life Questionnaire
TVT = tension free vaginal tape
TVT-O = TVT outside-in obturator
system
VAS = visual analog scale
Submitted for publication March 14, 2011.
Study received ethics committee/institutional
review board approval at all 29 centers.
Supported by Ethicon.
Supplementary material for this article can be
obtained at http://swww2.le.ac.uk/departments/
csmm/research/prolapse-and-incontinence-group.
* Correspondence: Department of Obstetrics
and Gynaecology, University of Leicester, Robert
Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building, Leicester
Royal Infirmary, P. O. Box 65, Leicester LE27LX,
United Kingdom (telephone: +44 (0) 116 252
5813; FAX: +44 (0) 116 252 5846; e-mail: dgt4@
leicester.ac.uk).
Purpose: We examined the clinical effectiveness of a single incision sling in
women with stress urinary incontinence and obtained comparative perioperative
and postoperative data on retropubic and transobturator slings.
Materials and Methods: Women who underwent a cough stress test were treated
with surgery using a single incision, retropubic or obturator sling (Gynecare® TVT
SECUR™, TVT™ or TVT Obturator System, respectively) with the choice of sling based
on surgeon preference. Objective cure was assessed by the standing cough stress test at
1 year. Subjective outcomes were assessed by the Incontinence Quality of Life Question-
naire and EQ-5D™. Perioperative data and return to normal activity were recorded.
Results: Of the 1,398 women who underwent surgery there were postoperative data
on 1,334, including 32.8%, 17.8% and 49.4% who received a tension free vaginal tape,
obturator tension free vaginal tape and SECUR, respectively. After obturator ten-
sion free vaginal tape surgery fewer women had a positive cough stress test than
after TVT and SECUR surgery (4 of 110 or 3.6% vs 24 of 187 or 12.8% and 59 of 374
or 15.8%, respectively). Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire effect size was
1.87, 1.42 and 1.56, respectively, indicating a large treatment effect. Using our
Incontinence Quality of Life Questionnaire response definition 85.4%, 79.0% and
85.2% of the TVT, TVT outside-in obturator system and SECUR cohorts, respec-
tively, were treatment responders (p = 0.11).The SECUR cohort had the shortest
operative time, the lowest proportion of women who required an overnight stay and
the most women who underwent surgery under local anesthesia. Median time to
return to employment, housework, sex life and hobbies was most rapid for SECUR.
Conclusion: This registry demonstrates the high effectiveness of all 3 ap-
proaches. The single incision sling appeared to have objective and subjective
efficacy similar to that of the retropubic sling and it can be performed under local
anesthesia in an office environment.
Key Words: urethra; urinary incontinence, stress; slings;
pelvic organ prolapse; quality of life
RETROPUBIC TVTs
1
and transobturator
tapes
2
are alternative surgical de-
vices for stress incontinence surgery.
Single incision slings were developed
to explore the potential of a device
with short insertion trocars to mini-
2310 www.jurology.com
0022-5347/11/1866-2310/0 Vol. 186, 2310-2315, December 2011
THE JOURNAL OF UROLOGY
®
Printed in U.S.A.
© 2011 by AMERICAN UROLOGICAL ASSOCIATION EDUCATION AND RESEARCH,INC. DOI:10.1016/j.juro.2011.07.078