Sling Surgery for the Treatment of Urinary Incontinence After Transurethral Resection of the Prostate: New Data on the Virtue Male Sling and an Evaluation of Literature

Objective To provide a review of literature regarding the role of male slings in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) following a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and to evaluate the effects of the Virtue male sling in patients with post-TURP SUI. Materials and Methods A systematic review of literature was performed to identify all papers on the use of male slings in patients with post-TURP SUI. Second, a prospective cohort study was conducted on 8 patients who received the Virtue as surgical treatment of post-TURP SUI. Questionnaires were collected preoperatively and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Success and improvement were defined as pad usage (0 pads: success, pad reduction of ≥50%: improvement). Primary end point was the continence rate 1 year postoperatively. Data were analyzed using the paired 2-tailed t test. Results Sling surgery appears to be significantly less successful in the treatment of SUI post TURP when compared to other types of prostate surgery. The clinical trial on the Virtue sling observed continence in 4 of 8 patients, with another 2 patients with improved continence after 1-year follow-up. No difference in success was observed between patients with mild and patients with severe SUI. Conclusions Little is currently known about the effects of sling surgery in patients with mild to severe SUI following a TURP. Although the Virtue male sling seems to be an efficient and safe device in the treatment of this complication, longer follow-up and larger cohorts will be needed to further confirm these results.