[Arterial injury associated with tension-free vaginal tape procedure successfully treated by radiological embolization: a case report]

Abstract

A 75-year-old woman underwent a tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) procedure for urinary stress incontinence. The patient complained of lower abdominal pain, a feeling of lower abdominal distension and nausea three hours after the operation. In addition, systolic blood pressure decreased gradually to 80 mmHg. Enhanced computed tomography revealed a retropubic hematoma sized up to 16 cm X 12 cm X 11 cm and bleeding from a vessel running through the posterosuperior aspect of the pubic bone. Successively, arteriography was performed. The arteriogram also confirmed arterial injury, which was successfully treated by selective embolization using a gelatin sponge and pushable coils. Postoperative course was uneventful requiring neither blood transfusion nor surgical removal of the hematoma.