Patient perceived effectiveness of a new male sling as treatment for post-prostatectomy incontinence.

PURPOSE: Objective measures show the AdVance() sling provides some benefit in post-prostatectomy incontinence. To our knowledge no validated, patient determined outcomes have been used to assess this procedure. We described the patient perceived effectiveness and postoperative complications.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review was followed by a telephone survey consisting of the Patient Global Impression of Improvement, Patient Global Impression of Severity, and questions about recommending the surgery, daily pad use and complications. Successful outcomes were Patient Global Impression of Improvement responses of very much better or much better without further incontinence treatment. Objective success is defined as pad-free or a reduction to 2 or less pads daily.
RESULTS: A total of 35 patients received the sling a median of 25 months after prostatectomy. Telephone surveys were administered a mean of 35 weeks after the sling procedure and 33 patients were contacted. Of the cases 18 (51.4%) and 21 (60%) were patient determined and objective successes, respectively. Of the patients with subjective treatment failure 3 would recommend the surgery to a friend and 12 were undecided or would not. Furthermore, no patients with subjective treatment failure were pad-free and 10 (58.8%) had pads that were mostly wet on changing. For the entire population a reduction in median daily pad use from 2.5 to 1 was observed as well as a strong association (p <0.01) between Patient Global Impression of Improvement and Patient Global Impression of Severity responses. Three individuals pursued further treatment with bulking agents and 3 had retention that resolved.
CONCLUSIONS: The AdVance sling is safe, and demonstrates similar subjective and objective outcomes. The procedure can benefit some individuals with post-prostatectomy incontinence and, therefore, may be another treatment option for this condition.