stress incontinence & TVT

Just to give another side to the TVT. I had this in April 2009, it was not a success. I am now back where I was. I still leak, so have to wear panty liners or pads all the time. Having had the op on a Thursday, I was kept in overnight and sent home on Friday with a catheter fitted, for which two different reasons have been given! I was back on the Monday, had the catheter removed and told to drink a jug of water, then I could go home when I had successfully been to the toilet.

I started to feel the urge, so went to the toilet and nothing happened. This went on for some time, but no matter what I did I was not able to pass urine. It became very uncomfortable, but there had been no instructions and there were no doctors around to do anything about it.

It is very uncomforatable when you want to go tothe toilet, have a full bladder, but cannot go. Eventually, some 2 1/2 hours later, they re-fitted catheter. I then saw a continence nurse, who explained that my bladder had reacted badly and did not know what to do, so it shut down.

I then had to self-catheterize when I wanted to go to the toilet, to get the bladder used to working again. When I could finally urinate naturally (about 9 months before I finished self-cathetising) I then had an overactive bladder, so would have accidents if I did not get to a loo in time, which meant within a minute or two of feeling the urge. Ths could be very embarrassing and has happened in the supermarket, the office and a cemetery.

I have always had weak pelvic muscles and despite regularly exercising them, I am still not fully recovered and need to get to a toilet pretty quickly as well as going more regularly than most people I know.

I had many visits to the hospital to see the specilist and the continence nurse, who did seem to know what she was talking about. The hospital had started to have the continence nurse invovled in these clinics, but not when I went unfortunately.

I would suggest you think very hard before having the TVT. I was told 70-80% success rate, but as the only other two ops I had ever had in my life were both successful - sinus surgery and a hysterectomy - and various tests were done I had not really considered it not working. And thought that if it didn't work I would just still have leakage. I certainly did not expect these problems.

Good luck to all those who it has worked for, but you need to be prepared for what might happen if it does not work.

I had the TVT sling December 2013 and by what a mistake.  I feel like it is cutting me in side and it hurts to sit down properly.  my marriage is on the line as sex is a big no go.  It hurts so much I cry.  I am so many tablets it's unbelievable and to top it all of my urge inconinence has got 100% worse were i may need Botox which petrifies me.