Pubovaginal slings for the management of urinary incontinence in female adolescents.

A pubovaginal sling is an effective treatment for type III incontinence secondary to poor proximal urethral sphincter function. We used a pubovaginal sling to treat incontinence in 15 female adolescents. The etiology of incontinence was spinal dysraphism in 10 patients and prior trauma in 3. Simultaneous bladder augmentation was performed in the remaining 2 patients for poor bladder compliance. Three patients required additional procedures including repeat slings in 2 and repeat augmentation in 1. Of 13 patients followed for more than 6 months 11 remain dry, 1 leaks small amounts and wears 1 pad per day, and 1 did not achieve acceptable continence and was subsequently managed with bladder augmentation and a Mitrofanoff procedure. The upper urinary tracts have remained normal in all 13 patients. The pubovaginal sling has proved to be safe and successful in these children. The overall continence rate of 92% compares favorably to other available modalities.