A commentary on “The influence of age and health status for outcomes after mid-urethral sling surgery – a nationwide register study”

Excerpt

This national register-based cohort study aimed to evaluate the influence of chronological age and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification on the efficacy and adverse events of mid-urethral sling (MUS) surgery in women for treating stress urinary incontinence (SUI) at 1-year follow-up. Data were extracted from the Swedish National Quality Register of Gynecological Surgery (GynOp). All women with SUI, aged ≥55 years, who underwent MUS surgery (both transvaginal retropubic and transobturator procedures) during the period from 2010 to 2017 were eligible for inclusion. Patients who had concomitant prolapse surgery were excluded. Information was prospectively and consecutively collected throughout the health care process based on a preoperative evaluation (with postal- or web-based questionnaires), hospital records from admission, surgery and discharge, and a postoperative questionnaire (8 weeks and 12 months). Symptom assessment was performed pre- and postoperatively, with cure defined as not having any episodes of SUI or 1–4 episodes per month. Patient satisfaction and de novo symptoms of urgency and nocturia were assessed as well. …