For how long is surgery effective?
The many surgical procedures available to treat urinary incontinence vary in their effectiveness. Although none of these procedures has a 100percent cure rate, research has shown that two basic kinds of procedures – retropubic urethropexy and the suburethral sling – should permanently cure 85 percent of stress incontinence cases. A new procedure using a suburethral sling made with tension-free vaginal tape can now be performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia. But patients should be aware of potential complications from any surgery for incontinence, including difficulty emptying the bladder and development of urge incontinence.
