SAFYRE™: A readjustable minimally invasive sling for female urinary stress incontinence

Abstract

Introduction: SAFYRE™ is a readjustable and minimally invasive sling for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). It is as a pubovaginal sling placed in the medial third of the urethra. The initial experience is described. Materials and Methods: Forty-five patients (mean age = 59 years) underwent a SAFYRE™ implant to treat SUI. Physical examination and urodynamic study were performed before surgery. All patients presented symptoms of SUI and 20% also reported mild urgency. Approximately 60% of this group had a previously failed anti-incontinence procedure. Urethral hypermobility was diagnosed in 40% of the patients and intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD) in 60% of the cases. Results: The average follow up period was 10 months. The mean operative time was 20 minutes. Dystopia repair was performed whenever necessary, during the same procedure. The average hospital stay was 24 hours. In 11% of the implants, bladder perforation occurred. During the postoperative period, 9 patients (20%) developed transient urgency symptoms. During the initial follow up period, 90% were found to be continent, 3% reported an improvement and 7% were unchanged. Conclusion: SAFYRE™ is a safe and quick procedure that allows postoperative readjustment. This technique may be an attractive alternative in the management of SUI, should the good result obtained so far prove to be long lasting.