Thigh abscess mistaken for sarcoma following transobturator tape: a case report and literature review

A 44-year-old female, 1 year status-post ObTape transobturator mid-urethral sling, was evaluated by orthopaedic oncology and urology for persistent thigh pain and a left thigh mass. Multiple muscle biopsies were inconclusive, raising concern for inflammatory sarcoma. After serial débridements of the thigh abscess, sling material was found in the obturator space, which gave the diagnosis. Health care providers, both gynecologic and nongynecologic, need to be aware of serious complications of transobturator slings that may present in atypical ways.     

A late complication of transobturator tape: abscess and myositis

The aim of the present study was to investigate a late complication of transobturator tape (TOT) implant: abscess and myositis. The case report included a 53 years-old vaginal multipara, subject to transobturator tape procedure in 2004, who came to the observation of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (University of Catania, Italy) with a late vaginal polypropylene mesh erosion. She reported growing pain at her left leg, walking difficulty, fever and persistent stress urinary incontinence (SUI). She also described a shooting pain originating from the left inguinal ligament radiating down her left leg. Obturator internus and adducent muscles of the left thigh were involved. Ultrasounds and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) clearly revealed the course of the mesh tape through the obturator muscles with myositis and abscess. The patient was treated by removing the polypropylene tape through the vaginal erosion. Her symptomatology improved within 3 weeks after the tape removal. Although developed to minimize surgical morbidity, the TOT procedure is not risk-free. Like for all the synthetic sling materials, the risk of erosion and resulting ascending infection from contamination exists. Because of the rarity of this complication, the Authors performed an assessment of this condition. Erosion may predispose the patient to secondary complications: abscess and myositis with great difficulty in deambulation. Imaging diagnosis is very effective. Ultrasound imaging is a useful method to investigate the whole pelvic floor condition. Moreover, MRI is a precise diagnostic procedure. This case not only proved the failure of the TOT for the treatment of stress incontinence, but also all the associated concerns. The study emphasizes the observation that abscess and symptomatic myositis may result into late disabling complications, although starting from a mini-invasive procedure.     

Recurrent Thigh Abscess with Necrotizing Fasciitis from a Retained Transobturator Sling Segment

A woman who underwent transobturator sling surgery for urinary incontinence experienced early vaginal mesh erosion, and underwent a partial sling removal. Several months later, she developed recurrent right thigh and groin abscesses and necrotizing fasciitis. The source of the infection, a retained segment of mesh in the obturator space, was identified only after several operative procedures and referrals. This case illustrates several of the areas of concern with the introduction of new surgical materials and techniques.     

Theoretical-mathematical models of the forces effected by allograft sling systems in incontinence therapy

The various allograft sling systems are differentiated by their devices, the different pore sizes of the prolene bands as well as, importantly, the various anatomical sling positions. Retropubic slings are positioned through the Retzius space, transobturator slings are placed through the obturator foramen. One of the major risks of complications when inserting these slings is that of over-tightening. The forces exerted during the positioning and fine tuning of the mesh slings are explained by a mathematical model. The flatter the suburethral angle after the tape placement, the stronger a force is to be applied for a further tightening of the tape. Due to the effective strength vectors, there seems to be less chance of overcorrection with the transobturator approach.     

Successful medical management of multifocal psoas abscess following cesarean section: report of a case and review of the literature

The psoas abscess is a rare complication in obstetric and gynaecology. Two types of psoas abscess are recognized. The primary psoas abscess is generally following haematogenous dissemination of an infectious agent and the source is usually occult. The most frequently isolated pathogen is Staphylococcus aureus. On the other hand, the secondary abscess is the result of local extension of an infectious process near the psoas muscle. We report the case of a patient who develops a bacteremia from an infected cesarean section wound. The complications were thigh and psoas abscesses with left sacroiliitis. Medical management with prolonged antibiotherapy permit clinical, biological and radiological improvement. Although it required a long hospital stay, medical treatment alone was effective. More experience is required to determine which therapeutic option: medical treatment and/or surgery, is the best choice for this type of complication.     

Genitaldeszensus und Belastungsinkontinenz

Bladder dysfunction including stress urinary incontinence is common in women with pelvic organ prolapse. Pelvic floor exercises and pessaries may be successful in alleviating prolapse and incontinence symptoms. After anterior repair, 48% of preoperatively stress incontinent women are continent, 61% after transobturator mesh operations. Additional suburethral sling insertion considerably increases postoperative continence rates. In women with occult stress incontinence, concomitant placement of a suburethral tape also improves success rates for stress incontinence. The subethral sling may be inserted concomitantly or three months after prolapse surgery with similar results. However, nearly one third of women declined the suburethral tape because they were dry after anterior repair. Continent women with prolapse develop stress incontinence in 9% after anterior repair and in 14% after transobturator mesh implantation. In summary, women with occult or symptomatic stress incontinence benefit from additional suburethral tape insertion. However, almost one third of women will receive an unnecessary operation and delayed continence surgery should be considered.     

Management of stress urinary incontinence

Stress urinary incontinence is a common condition that can severely affect a woman's quality of life. Midurethral slings (tension-free vaginal tape and transobturator tape) are becoming first-line surgical treatments for stress urinary incontinence in women. Both procedures gained worldwide popularity immediately after they were introduced. Short operative time, brief hospitalization period, and ease of application have played a role in their acceptance. Sufficient data support the use of both retropubic and transobturator approaches for the placement of a midurethral sling. However, longer follow up in larger populations should assess the long-term reliability of these procedures.     

Cost Comparison of the Laparoscopic Burch Colposuspension,Laparoscopic Two-Team Sling Procedure,and the Transobturator Tape Procedure for the Treatment of Stress Urinary Incontinence

ObjectiveTo compare medical costs of three surgical procedures for the treatment of primary stress urinary incontinence: the laparoscopic Burch colposuspension procedure, the laparoscopic two-team sling procedure, and the transobturator tape (TOT) procedure.MethodsWe performed a retrospective observational study of isolated minimally invasive surgical procedures (no concomitant surgery) in 18 women with primary stress incontinence. Six women underwent a laparoscopic Burch colposuspension procedure, six underwent a laparoscopic two-team sling, and six underwent a TOT procedure. The main outcome measure was the mean aggregated medical cost per patient treated. Itemized calculations were made for (1) equipment costs; (2) surgeon, surgical assistant, and anaesthesiologist reimbursements; (3) nursing costs; (4) operating and recovery room costs; and (5) costs of stay in hospital.ResultsThe mean cost per patient undergoing a TOT procedure was $2547 (95% CI $2260 to $2833); for a laparoscopic Burch colposuspension it was $4354 (95% CI $3465 to $5244); and for a laparoscopic two-team sling procedure it was $5393 (95% CI $4959 to $5826). Significant differences were found across procedures using a one-way ANOVA. A TOT was lower in cost than both a Burch procedure, with a mean cost difference of $1807 88 (P < 0 001), and a sling procedure, with a mean cost difference of $2834.73 (P < 0.001).ConclusionA transobturator tape procedure has less direct medical costs than a laparoscopic Burch colposuspension or a laparoscopic two-team sling procedure in the surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence.     

Effects of lumbar lordosis and pelvic inlet orientation on the outcome of the transobturator tape sling operation in women

Purpose  

To determine the association between changes in lumbar lordosis (LL) and/or pelvic inlet (PI) orientation and the outcome of a transobturator tape (TOT) sling procedure.     

Single incision slings: Past,present, and future

Pubovaginal slings have become the gold standard to treat stress urinary incontinence. Traditionally, the sling referred to a suspensory that was placed under the urethra and brought through the retropubic space and anchored on either side of the midline. Since this original concept, there have been many materials used for the sling, and there have been many different anchoring approaches. Most agree that one of the best materials is polypropylene mesh. However, the means of anchoring the device and where best to have this anchorage placed is debatable. The options for anchoring simply include using darts vs not to hold the sling in place. The location of this anchorage, on the other hand, is much more controversial. The main locations are retropubic, transobturator, and via a single incision. The obturator and retropubic slings have become the standard of care over time. The single incision sling, on the other hand, is starting to be more acceptable which has resulted in it being used more frequently. The single incision relies on mainly anchoring the sling through the obturator internus muscle with possible inclusion of the obturator membrane. The purpose of this review article is to present the data that exists for the use of the single incision sling.     

Urinary incontinence and obesity

Obesity, defined as a body mass index (BMI) more than or equal to 30kg/m(2), promotes pelvic floor disorders such as urinary incontinence (UI) and genital prolapse. Datas from cohort studies found an association between high BMI and the onset of UI. This association seems to be predominant with for mixed UI and stress UI. For the urge UI and overactive bladder syndrome, the analysis of the literature found a weaker association. The weight is therefore the only modifiable risk factor. Thus, the weight loss by a hypocaloric diet associated with pelvic floor muscle training should be the front line treatment in the obese patient suffering from UI. Bariatric surgery can be discussed in the most obese patient, even if the risk/benefit balance should be weighed because of significant morbidity of this surgery. The results of sub urethral sling (by retropubic tension-free vaginal tape or transobturator sling) in obese patients appear to be equivalent to those obtained in patients of normal weight. Datas on per- and postoperative complications for suburethral slings are reassuring.     

Transobturator tapes: better than TVT?

Suburethral slings (or tapes) placed by a transobturator approach may be an alternative to established retropubic tension-free vaginal tapes. Comparisons are hampered by the number of available systems. Injury of the bladder, bowel and major vessels appears less frequent with transobturator systems whereas vaginal tape erosion and infectious complications appear to be more common. Results of adequately powered randomized trials are not yet available.     

Surgical options in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women

The aim of this review is to provide an update on the surgical options for treatment of stress incontinence in women. The efficiency of different procedures and the safety associated with each procedure are evaluated, mainly by reviewing the randomised controlled trials. The open retropubic colposuspension and the sling procedures are the most efficacious for treatment stress urinary incontinence especially in the long term. The laparoscopic colposuspension may be as good as the open colposuspension, but the long-term performance remains uncertain. The newer minimal access vaginal sling procedures appear to offer benefits of minimal access surgery with success rate similar to the colposuspension and the traditional slings and minor morbidity in the short and median-term. However long term data is still awaited. The transobturator technique does not seem to provide advantages compared to the classical TVT procedure. Urethral injection therapy does not seem to have the same efficacy as conventional surgery and long term data is still scanty. However, because of low operative morbidity it represents a favourable alternative to standard surgery in patients who prefer less invasive treatment, the frail elderly and other selected women where conventional surgery is problematic.     

Recent Advances in Tape Slings for Female Urinary Stress Incontinence

Sling therapy is the enhanced surgical support of the urethra. In this article, the history of the use of slings for the surgical treatment of female urinary stress incontinence is reviewed, and the usual surgical routes for retropubic (transvaginal) or transobturator tape passage are described. The latest innovation in sling therapy is the use of minislings, which are short tape mesh implants inserted through a single vaginal incision; these slings may be placed in an office setting. Outcomes data are either lacking or suggest a considerable decrement of effectiveness of unstabilized minislings over full-length slings; however, the short-term efficacy of a stabilized, adjustable minisling is 97%. These results suggest benchmark effectiveness associated with full-length slings in a less invasive device that also has the capability of short-term adjustability.Key words: Minisling, Urinary stress incontinence, Retropubic sling, Transvaginal tape, Subfascial or transobturator sling, Suburethral slingUrodynamic stress incontinence (USI) is the leakage of urine through an incompetent urethra in the absence of a detrusor contraction.¹ The purest symptom of USI is urinary loss upon raising intra-abdominal pressure, as in coughing. Ten percent of middle-aged women report weekly incontinence,² although only 1 in 1000 women undergo curative surgery. USI may be complicated by intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD), detrusor overactivity or voiding disorder, or pelvic organ prolapse. USI is amenable to physical therapy and to surgery. Drug therapy to remedy a structural defect has been understandably disappointing. Bulking agents have a role in treating women with ISD, those who have undergone repeat surgery, or those medically unfit for surgery.     

Correction of cystocele and stress incontinence with anterior transobturator mesh

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of anterior transobturator mesh for treating cystocele with or without urinary stress incontinence. STUDY DESIGN: Eighty-five women with cystocele, with or without USI, underwent anterior transobturator vaginal mesh operation. All patients were examined after 4 months. Seventy-two of them were evaluated via questionnaire after 7 months with respect to complications, the effectiveness of the operation and its influence on their quality of life. Women with urinary stress incontinence in addition to cystocele (62.5%) underwent suburethral mesh placement with the anterior mesh-arms used like a transobturator sling. RESULTS: Recurrence of stage 1 cystoceles were seen in 9.6% of patients but no recurrence of symptomatic cystocele was observed. Mesh erosion of the central anterior vaginal wall appeared in 5.9%. Three revisions but no mesh explantation became necessary. Urinary stress incontinence was cured in 83.3%, while it improved in 9.3%. Urge incontinence was cured in 28.6% of patients and improved in 17.5%. De novo urge incontinence occurred four times and de novo urinary stress incontinence was found in three patients. Among sexually active women, 27% reported improved intercourse, while 24.3% reported a change for the worse. Quality of life improved in 81.9%, and 95.8% would undergo the procedure again. CONCLUSION: Anterior transobturator mesh is a safe method to treat cystocele with or without stress urinary incontinence and yields good initial results.     

Preliminary experience with transobturator tape for treatment of urinary incontinence in women

AIM: Aim of this study is to report our preliminary experience with a minimally invasive surgical procedure using transobturator approach. METHODS: We enrolled in our study 19 patients with stress urinary incontinence and urethral hypermobility without genital prolapse. All patients underwent suburethral transobturator tape (TOT) procedure. Four patients underwent previous surgical procedure for incontinence (3 Kelly and 1 Burch). No patients reported previous major gynaecological surgery. Mean age was 58.68 years (range 36-75). The sling was placed according to the technique described by Delorme. RESULTS: Mean operating time was 21 min (range 14-48). No bladder lesions or intraoperative complications occurred. Fifteen patients were dismissed the same day of surgery. Mean hospital staying was 1.4 days (range 1-5). No infections, erosions or sieromas have been observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience shows as TOT technique is extremely rapid, reproducible and with a very short learning curve. The transobturator approach avoids the risk of bladder, bowel or vascular injuries. Compliance and patient satisfaction have been very encouraging, restoring a real functional well-being. However, the small number of patients in our study and the short follow up do not actually allow us to draw definitive results and further studies are needed to confirm the technique success.     

Outcome of the Laparoscopic Two-Team Sling Procedure,Tension-Free Vaginal Tape Insertion,and Transobturator Tape Insertion in Women With Recurrent Stress Urinary Incontinence

ObjectiveAlthough the surgical treatment of primary stress urinary incontinence (SUI) has been well studied, the optimal treatment of persistent or recurrent SUI represents a significant challenge to the surgeon, and there are limited relevant published data. The aim of this study was to document outcome data for various surgical techniques used at our centre for the treatment of recurrent SUI, and to assess the immediate and long-term complications associated with these procedures.MethodsThis retrospective study assessed the outcome of the laparoscopic two-team sling procedure, tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) insertion, and transobturator tape (TOT) insertion in the treatment of recurrent SUI in women. Data collected included patient demographics, urodynamic data, postoperative subjective cure and objective cure (negative cough stress test), and intraoperative and postoperative complications.ResultsForty-six women with recurrent SUI were included in the study: 24 had had laparoscopic two-team sling procedures, 15 had had TVT insertion, and 7 had had TOT insertion. For each procedure, objective cure rates were 91.7%, 73.3%, and 85.7%, respectively, and subjective cure rates were 79.2%, 60%, and 57.1% respectively. In the laparoscopic two-team sling group, one woman developed an infected hematoma and one required surgery for a small bowel obstruction.ConclusionThe laparoscopic two-team sling procedure or TVT or TOT insertion may be used in experienced hands for surgical management of patients with recurrent stress urinary incontinence. We found no statistically significant differences in outcomes between the three groups, possibly because of the small sample size. Larger sample size and longer follow-up within prospective randomized trials are warranted to identify any possible differences.     

Severe uterine hemorrhage from blastomycosis of the endometrium. A case report

A 32-year-old black woman presented in the emergency room with vaginal bleeding. Physical examination revealed a granulomatous lesion on the thigh and a breast abscess. Histopathologic examination and culture of an endometrial biopsy revealed Blastomyces dermatitidis. The breast abscess and thigh lesion were found to contain B. dermatitidis as well.     

Repeat midurethral sling treatment for prior midurethral sling failure

We reviewed articles in the PubMed database which describe the results and outcome of a repeat midurethral synthetic sling (MUS), known as tension-free vaginal tape (TVT), or transobturator tape/tension-free vaginal tape obturator for prior MUS failure in patients who presented with persistent or recurrent stress urinary incontinence (SUI). We combined or separated the keywords “TVT,” “failure,” “repeat TVT,” and “recurrent/persistent SUI.” The search was limited by publication data from 2000 to 2010, humans, female, and English text. A repeat TVT procedure treating prior TVT failure showed success rates ranging from 70% to 90%. The outcomes showed no significant differences between a repeat retropubic route or transobturator route. A repeat MUS procedure for persistent or recurrent stress urinary incontinence is a reliable option for patients with prior MUS failure.