[Chronic TVT infection: mechanisms and consequences].

Despite the simplicity and efficacy of TVT, this technique, like all surgical treatments, is nevertheless associated with sometimes very serious complications. The authors report a case of chronic infection of a polypropylene implant presenting with cutaneous fistula of a retropubic abscess without an associated septic syndrome, ten months after TVT insertion. The TVT was removed by mini-laparotomy after failure of three weeks of adapted antibiotics and local wound care. These infections can be explained by the capacity of certain micro-organisms to bind to biomaterials and produce a biofilm, protecting from the action of antibiotics and immune cells.