Accreditation of an old surgical technique for stress urinary incontinence: long-term outcomes of modified autologous fascial pubovaginal sling

Purpose To evaluate long-term outcomes of modified autologous fascial pubovaginal sling (AFPVS) in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Methods To evaluate long-term outcomes of modified AFPVS, we retrospectively reviewed the medical records of our patients from 2004 to 2015. From 2 decades ago, we have made modifications to classic surgical technique to make it simpler and faster. Results 199 patients were contacted with mean age of 52 years. The mean follow-up period was 107 months. According to Revised Urinary Incontinence Scale (RUIS) questionnaire, overall success rate was 83.9%. In patients with positive history for SUI surgery, success rate was 73% compared to 87% in those without it. Body mass index was negatively associated with cure rate. We did not encounter any major complications and most of the issues were managed conservatively. Recurrence of SUI occurred in 6 patients (3.5%) after initial improvement. Conclusion Modified AFPVS is an effective surgical technique for treatment of SUI with high and durable success rate. At the present time with concerns regarding the use of transvaginal synthetic mesh, there is increasing interest and request for modified traditional procedures. It is likely that AFPVS may become more popular in upcoming years.