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Sling Surgery Complications

A suburethral sling is a type of surgery performed on women to correct incontinence (the inability to control urination). This surgery tends to have a high success rate, but there can be various complications that arise from the surgery. If you notice these complications, you should contact your doctor immediately.

  1. Background

    • The sling surgery uses synthetic material to close the urethral sphincter (a ringlike muscle), which is attached to the bladder that open and closes to release urine. A doctor performs the surgery either through the bladder or through the vagina with a laparoscopic device, causing minimal pain or visible scars. This surgery eliminates the women's involuntary urination problem, which can be caused by stress, which affects the elasticity of the sphincter, or by an overactive sphincter.

    Sling Erosion

    • Synthetic slings can erode overtime. Whether or not the sling will erode depends on the synthetic material used. Gortex slings have a higher rate of erosion, requiring replacement in up to 22 percent of patients according to a 1995 research study published in Obstetrician Gynecology. Alternatively, Mersilene mesh slings have a lower rate of erosion. Nonetheless, the sling erosion does not pose serious medical problems for patient, but may cause involuntary incontinence, and a replacement will be needed.

    Irritation

    • Unfortunately, the sling procedure can have unforeseeable affects on the female patient. Some female patients may experience irritation from the insertion of a synthetic sling. This irritation is more common within the first week after the procedure. Forty to fifty percent of the women with sling procedures saw a decrease a week after the procedure, and only ten percent still had irritation ten weeks after the surgery.

    Voiding Dysfunction

    • Voiding dysfunction refers to an abnormality in the urination process. Excess tension in the sling that arises after the surgery can cause voiding dysfunction. There are various complications that excess tension can cause: hesitancy in urination, a thin and intermittent urinary stream, irritation, and retaining urine in the bladder. The most common problem is the bladder not completely emptying. Doctors will usually provide a catheter to help with draining, until the bladder functioning fully recovers.

    Bone Anchor Complications

    • Bone anchors are a specific process of tying sutures to the pubic bone to better support the sling. This suturing can lead to a rare bone bacterial infection called osteomyelitis. The symptoms of the infection involve swelling above the pubic bone, pain, or wound infections that do not properly heal. Treatment involves intravenous antibiotic drips and must be addressed immediately.

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