Stress Incontinence Surgery Can Improve Sexual Function

Urinary incontinence affects up to 55% of U.S. women and often causes sexual dysfunction. This secondary analysis of data from two studies of surgical procedures for stress incontinence examined whether surgical correction improved sexual function and whether any one procedure was best for this purpose. Sexual activity during the preceding 6 months was reported at baseline and the 12- and 24-month postoperative visits by 924 primarily white women who underwent transobturator sling surgery (mean age, 50.0), retropubic sling surgery (mean age, 50.6), Burch procedure (mean age, 49.6), or fascial sling surgery (mean age, 49.1). Women reporting sexual activity completed validated sexual function questionnaires at each visit.

At baseline, mean sex…