Female sexual function associated with the use of tension free vaginal tape for stress urinary incontinence

Female urinary incontinence is a common problem in middle-aged women. Up to 50% of the adult female population have stress urinary incontinence, and the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in these women is around 50%. The aim of this study is to evaluate sexual function before and after a urinary incontinence surgical procedure using tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) or transobturator tape (TOT). Material and methods A prospective study was conducted on 22 sexually active women who underwent TVT or TOT procedures for stress urinary incontinence by assessing the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) before, and 3 and 6 months after surgery. Results The study included 22 women with a mean age of 48.3 ± 6.46 years, who underwent TVT or TOT for stress urinary incontinence. The median abdominal leak point pressure (ALPP) was 85.5 ± 17.2 cm H2O, with a median pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POPQ) of 0.28 ± 0.45. Female sexual function assessed with the FSFI improved in all the aspects of the questionnaire. The mean total FSFI score before surgery was 21.57 ± 3.53, at 3 months after surgery it was 26.05 ± 3 (P = 0.0001), and at 6 months post-op it was 27.28 ± 5.03 (P = 0.001). Coital incontinence improved in 90% of the participants, and 95% responded that they were satisfied with the results of the procedure. Conclusion Sexual function in women who underwent TVT and TOT procedures improved considerably up to 6 months after surgery. Coital urinary incontinence improved in most of the women. Despite the evidence being variable as regards the outcomes in terms of sexual function after TVT and TOT, it is considered that these procedures substantially improve sexual function in women with stress urinary incontinence.