OBJECTIVE(S): To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a thermally bonded nonwoven polypropylene mesh in a transobturator suburethral tape procedure (OBTAPE^®, Mentor-Porges, Le Plessis Robinson, France) for women with stress urinary incontinence.

Between January 2003 and January 2005, 129 consecutive women (mean age 57.2 years) underwent OBTAPE^® in two academic centers. All the patients had stress urinary incontinence preoperatively. Detrusor instability was ruled out by cystometry. The women were evaluated 1, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. The objective cure rate was evaluated by clinical examination and the subjective cure rate was assessed using the KHQ and BFLUTS questionnaire.

Mean follow-up was 17.2±4.7 months (range 4 to 28 months). The objective and subjective cure rates were respectively 89.9% and 77.5%. Most of the patients received general anesthesia (85.3%). Urinary retention was observed in two women (1.5%), necessitating tape adjustment. Voiding difficulties were observed in 7 cases (5.4%) necessitating intermittent self-catheterization for 4.2±2.4 days (range 1 to 7 days). Seven patients developed vaginal erosion (one with vaginal extrusion, and two with an obturator abscess). Complete mesh removal was necessary in 6 patients, four of whom had recurrent stress urinary incontinence.

Our results suggest that the OBTAPE^® is an effective treatment for women with stress urinary incontinence. However, vaginal mesh erosion occurred in 6.2% of women, and this implies the need for careful follow-up.