Ultrasound diagnosis of intra-urethral tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) position as a cause of postoperative voiding dysfunction and retropubic pain

Intra-urethral Prolene tape erosion is a rare postoperative complication of tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) plasty. In cases reported in the literature, intra-urethral tape positioning has been diagnosed by urethroscopy as late as 3-12 months after the procedure. Introital ultrasound using a vaginal sector scanner allows for the non-invasive assessment of the position of the Prolene tape in relation to the urethra. Postoperative introital ultrasound might shorten the interval between surgery and the time of diagnosis of an intra-urethrally placed tape and thus significantly shorten the duration of symptoms. We present a patient with urethral pain syndrome and dysuria following TVT plasty. In this case, introital ultrasound was not performed until 8 months after surgery, when it demonstrated intra-urethral Prolene tape positioning as the cause of the patient's complaints. All symptoms disappeared after surgical removal of the intra-urethrally placed parts of the tape. The patient is continent, suggesting that the remaining para-urethral portions of the Prolene tape depicted sonographically ensured adequate stabilization of the mid-urethra in this case. The case report emphasizes the role of introital ultrasound in assessing Prolene tape position relative to the urethra on sagittal and transverse angulated views in the postoperative diagnostic evaluation of functional disturbances occurring after TVT plasty.