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A new,
minimally invasive surgical procedure to treat women with
stress incontinence is safe and effective for elderly women,
according to researchers at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and
Chang Gung University College of Medicine in Taiwan, Republic
of China.
The half-hour
procedure, known as Tension-Free Vaginal Tape (TVT), is performed
on an outpatient basis. TVT can accomplish in one procedure
what used to take multiple surgeries to achieve.
During
the surgery, the patient's urethra is restored to its normal
position by weaving a "sling" of mesh tape beneath
it. After surgery, the tape supports the urethra during a
sudden movement, such as a cough or sneeze, allowing it to
remain closed and preventing the involuntary loss of urine,
Researchers
tested the TVT procedure in the treatment 45 elderly women
between the ages of 65 to 85 for stress incontinence. Tests
were conducted before surgery and again one year afterwards
to assess the levels of incontinence the women were experiencing.
Of the
45 study patients, 41 had complete relief of their symptoms,
one showed some improvement and three showed no change in
their condition, according to the study published in the journal
Urology.
Researchers
advise that further studies are needed to determine the effectiveness
of the TVT procedure over a longer period of time.
Source:
Medical Week staff,
week of April 21, 2002
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