Trans-obturator tape cost-effective for urinary incontinence

(HealthDay)—For women with stress urinary incontinence, use of trans-obturator tape (TOT) is cost-effective compared with tension-free vaginal tape (TVT), according to a study published online Aug. 10 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Douglas Lier, from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, and colleagues conducted an economic evaluation of TOT versus TVT in the surgical treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women. Participants included 195 women who were enrolled into a randomized clinical trial and were followed for five years after surgery.

The researchers found that, compared with the TVT group, there was a non-significant average saving of $2,368 for the TOT group and an incremental gain of 0.04 quality-adjusted life-years. In over 71 percent of bootstrap replications, TOT was dominant, and it was cost-effective over a range of willingness-to-pay. Similar results were obtained in cost-effectiveness analysis among patients with no serious adverse events.

"The results suggest that TOT is cost-effective compared with TVT in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence," the authors write.