talkhealth forums

(I've just posted this under 'getting treatment' but now started it as a new topic!)

Hi - I've been diagnosed with stress incontinence and it has been suggested I have the TVT (Trans-Vaginal Tape) procedure. It has all been explained to me, but since then I have read two articles in the press about women in agonising pain following a similar operation. The first was 'incontinence op that's ruining women's lives' (Daily Mail Good Health section August 16th 2011) and the more recent one was in the Liverpool Echo on 5th April about 'St Helens mum left in agony by medical mesh launches campaign to save others'.

Obviously I don't want to go through anything like these ladies have. Could anyone explain the differences to me please?

Hello

The Bladder and Bowel Foundation has information on TVT which you may find useful. Please look at this section on Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) http://www.bladderandbowelfoundation.or ... inence.asp

We also have a nurse helpline who may be able to discuss these procedures with you. Should you wish to contact this confidential helpline the number is 0845 345 0165. You'll need to leave your name and number so that the nurse can call you back.

Regards

Thank you so much for the posting from the Bladder and Bowel Foundation. I looked on the very helpful site and made a call to the nurse helpline and a lovely lady has just called me back and we have discussed my situation.

One thing she mentioned was that there is now a more updated version of the TVT which is called TOT (Trans Obturator Tape) which obviously my local hospital doesn't do or I think I would have been offered it.

I would urge anyone wanting info on this area to go to the Bladder and Bowel Foundation website - if you have been offered TVT or TOT and are unsure like me, I would certainly call the nurse helpline because they give such good advice and listen to your concerns.

In my previous posting I mentioned two press articles I have regarding ladies who have suffered pain since they had similar operations. I am hoping to speak to one of these ladies soon - watch this space!!

Hello again!

I have just spoken to a lady called Teresa Hughes whose article about the perils of having a TVT or TOT procedure which uses medical mesh, appeared in the Liverpool Echo on 5th April. (If you go to www.liverpoolecho.co.uk and search for Teresa Hughes, her article will come up.)

She has told me the tape used in this procedure is polypropeline based and if this starts breaking up in the body it can cause dreadful side effects. Teresa isn't the only lady to suffer - she has started a website called www.meshiesunitedgroup.co.uk (once on the home page, click on a link on the right hand side to take you to the main site.)

I have always believed in researching stuff before I make any major decisions, both with my health and also many other aspects of my life. This was no exception, and when I read the 2 articles (mentioned in a previous posting) I was determined to find out more. Possibly the vast majority of people who have this surgery had no side effects at all - I have a good friend (who has a medical background) and she had the operation 9 years ago and has never had any problems and swears it has changed her life - I'm sure there are many other women who can tell the same story and have gone on to lead a changed life. As a doctor said to me, you know any operation has risks involved and you should never go for sugery unless the benefits of the surgery are considered to be higher than the potential downside if things don't go well.

I think the two sites to look at if you are seriously considering the procedure are the Bladder and Bowel Foundation (mentioned in an earlier post - very helpful) and then Teresa's site (mentioned above)

Happy researching! It would be nice to see some more postings on this subject - I would really love to read them.....

cheshirecat, thank you for the update. It's good to hear about the research you're doing on this and get the various perspectives from others. As you say there are probably many people who have no problems from this operation at all and have their lives transformed but it's always worth knowing what the risks may be. So have you made up your mind? Which way are you going to go?

HI Cheshirecat

I saw a leaflet on this operation - heres the link.

There seems to be quite a lot of risks involvd.

http://www.baus.org.uk/Resources/BAUS/D ... female.pdf

Hi

Interesting link to your publication - have you looked at the website I mentioned http://www.meshiesunitedgroup.co.uk/ cos that is just frightening....these are the ladies who, like me, thought it was an 'easy option to have to TVT' but they went through with it and have suffered really badly.

In answer to NN, I'm certainly not going ahead with it....a friend has sent me links for non-surgical options which I am looking at. I can't get an appointment with my GP for 2 weeks (nothing new there then!) but will have researched them by then and will ask for their thoughts on them and will come back to the site. (would attach them to here but if I go off I seem to loose what I've just written!)

Thank you.

I will have a look at this site.

I definately wouldn't get a TVT - a friend of mine had all sorts of problems with it, infections, pain etc. Ive heard TOT is just as bad, I would ask what the other options are.

No I wouldn't consider either of those now after having read the dreadful stories and speaking to Teresa.

My partner has an incisional hernia following a prostatectomy and apparently they use mesh in the procedure to repair this too - I shall have to make sure he has the cut and stitch version if he can when we go for the consultation next month. This damn stuff appears everywhere - isn't it the same tape that's used to pack parcels??

Those 2 links I mentioned are http://www.nafc.org/index.php?page=non- ... continence and
http://www.allaboutincontinence.co.uk/b ... ontinence/ This last one talks about women reporting an improved quaility of life 36 months later....I do hope that should read 3 to 6 months later!?

What do you think of these?

If you're in doubt about TVT, just listen to this interview on Women's Hour - the lady who is being interviewed has contacted me on the meshies website.
It's a well balanced interview with a doctor and a sufferer so well worth a listen.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b019gy9r