Ultrasonography and clinical outcomes following anti-incontinence procedures (Solyx™ tape): a 3-year post-operative review

Introduction and hypothesis Our primary objective was to study objective and subjective outcomes of patients with urodynamic stress incontinence (USI) following Solyx™ at 3-year follow-up. Our secondary objective was to evaluate ultrasonographic tape and bladder neck position and mobility. Methods Records of 88 women who received Solyx™ surgery between September 2015 and December 2017 were reviewed. Ultrasonographic sling evaluation was performed at 6 months and 3 years postoperatively. Primary outcomes were objective and subjective cure of stress incontinence, defined as no involuntary urine leakage during filling cystometry, 1-h pad test < 2 g and negative response to Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 Question 3. Results Subjective and objective cure rates at 3 years were 85.2% and 87.5%, respectively, with no complications reported. QOL improvements were maintained. Bladder neck position and mobility had no significant change between 6-month and 3-year follow-up. Tape position demonstrated significant shifts in the y-axis at both rest and Valsalva and in the x-axis at Valsalva between 6 months and 3 years; overall mobility was unchanged. Percentile of sling location remained unchanged at 60.1%, as did percentage of urethral kinking (67.9%) achieved. Risk factors for failure were bladder neck hypomobility postoperatively and no urethral kinking postoperatively. Conclusions There was good sustained objective and subjective cure with improved QOL in women who underwent Solyx™ for USI at 3-year follow-up. Ultrasonographic evaluation showed a tape position shift upwards and backwards with unchanged tape and bladder neck mobility. Percentile of sling location and rates of dynamic kinking were maintained.