Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Beyond the Mesh: PuboUrethral Ligament Plication Versus Transobturator Tape at 6 Months and the Power of Preoperative ICIQ-SF for Risk Stratification.
By İncebıyık M & Adak İH.·2026·Research and Application Hospital·View original on Europe PMC →
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Plain-English summary
This study looked at two surgical options for women dealing with stress urinary incontinence, which is when they leak urine during activities like coughing or exercising. One method is called pubourethral ligament plication (PLP), and the other is transobturator tape (TOT). The researchers found that both surgeries helped with symptoms, but PLP was quicker to perform and didn't involve any mesh, which can sometimes cause complications. The study also highlighted a questionnaire called the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF), which can help predict how likely a patient is to have a successful outcome after surgery. Overall, both treatments worked well, but PLP had some advantages, and the ICIQ-SF is a useful tool for assessing risk before surgery.
Abstract
<h4>Introduction and hypothesis</h4>To compare short-term outcomes of pubourethral ligament plication (PLP) versus transobturator tape (TOT) for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and evaluate the prognostic value of the preoperative International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF).<h4>Methods</h4>In this prospective, non-randomized cohort study, 140 women underwent PLP (n = 48) or TOT (n = 92). Success was assessed at 6 months using objective (pad count) and subjective criteria. Predictive performance of preoperative ICIQ-SF was analyzed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.<h4>Results</h4>Preoperative symptoms were more severe in the TOT group (p = 0.003). Objective success rates were 88.0% for TOT and 77.1% for PLP (p > 0.05); subjective satisfaction was high and comparable. PLP had significantly shorter operative duration (p < 0.001) and no mesh-related complications, while TOT had an 8.7% complication rate. Preoperative ICIQ-SF score demonstrated excellent discriminative power for predicting failure (AUC 0.98; 95% CI 0.96-1.00), whereas daily pad count was a poor predictor (AUC 0.48). An ICIQ-SF threshold of ≥ 17 points identified patients at high risk of failure with high sensitivity and specificity.<h4>Conclusions</h4>PLP and TOT provide comparable short-term relief. PLP is a faster, mesh-free alternative avoiding synthetic material-related morbidity. Preoperative ICIQ-SF is a robust tool for individualized risk stratification, though the high AUC warrants external validation.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Europe PMC: https://europepmc.org/article/MED/41653288