Long‐term outcome of the transobturator vaginal tape inside out for the treatment of urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence in female dogs

Objective To evaluate the long‐term efficacy of the transobturator vaginal tape inside out (TVT‐O) in female dogs with urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence (USMI). Study design Retrospective study. Animals Incontinent spayed female dogs (n = 12). Methods TVT‐O tape was inserted in 12 incontinent bitches diagnosed with USMI. Follow‐up information was evaluated by a telephone questionnaire, and a continence score was attributed. Results One year after surgery, 7 of 12 (58%) dogs were completely continent. Two dogs were removed from the long‐term analysis (1 dead and 1 lost). At a median follow‐up time of 85 months (range, 28‐95), 4 of 10 dogs were completely continent without medical treatment. Incontinence recurred in 6 dogs at a median time of 2 months after surgery (range 1‐20). Among these 6 dogs, 4 regained continence, and 2 had sporadic episodes of incontinence with additional medical treatment. No postoperative complications were encountered. Conclusion TVT‐O alone was successful in maintaining long‐term continence in 40% of the dogs. Additional postoperative medical treatment was effective in restoring continence in another 40% of the dogs. Clinical significance TVT‐O provides an alternative treatment of USMI in female dogs that is safe and less invasive than standard surgical techniques.