[Effects of urethropexy on urination. A price to pay?]

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the voiding repercussions of urethropexy.

Methods: We carried out a clinical and urodynamic study in 70 patients subjected to different techniques of urethropexy (Kelly, Raz, Marshall-Marchetti-Krantz, Burch and simplified Ramirez) for stress urinary incontinence. We evaluated the voiding repercussions of urethropexy.

Results: There was a significant increase in the obstructive symptoms with urethropexy (29% of the patients) although there was no relationship with the variation of the urinary flow rate. It also significantly diminished the urinary flow rate (85% of the patients) and increased the postvoiding volume significantly (3.68 times the average before surgery). The increase in postvoiding volume occurred more frequently in patients with diminished urinary flow rate before urethropexy (60% of the cases). The Raz technique showed less urodynamic data of voiding disturbances.

Conclusions: Urethropexy causes voiding disturbance. We believe the decrease in urinary flow rate is related to the increase in urethral resistance produced by urethropexy. In the cases with previously diminished urinary flow rate, reduction in bladder contractility is added to the former mechanism.