n. a surgical procedure for treating stress incontinence in women in which the upper part of the vaginal wall is fixed to the anterior abdominal wall by unabsorbable suture material. It may be performed through an abdominal incision (Burch colposuspension) or using a laparoscope (laparoscopic colposuspension). These techniques have now been largely replaced by other less invasive sling procedures, such as *tension-free vaginal tape.
(transvaginal tape, TVT) a surgical sling procedure for treating stress incontinence in women that uses a tape made of polypropylene mesh. The tape is inserted under the mid-urethra (rather than the bladder neck, as in a *pubovaginal sling), passing through the retropubic space on either side, and is fixed to the abdominal wall just internal to the pubic symphysis. The transobturator tape (TOT) procedure is similar, but in this technique a tunnel is created out to the *obturator foramen on either side, lessening the risk of vascular and bladder injuries. Tape procedures have lower morbidity rates than *colposuspension and have gradually replaced the latter as the surgical procedure of choice for treating female stress incontinence, but there may be complications associated with nonabsorbable mesh.... tension-free vaginal tape
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