Your doctor may recommend an autologous fascial sling as surgical treatment for your stress incontinence. This type of operation may be suitable for you in any of the following circumstances:
- If you have previously had surgery which wasn’t successful
- If you are not able to have a midurethral sling procedure
- If you do not wish to have any surgery which involves any synthetic (artificial) material being used in your body
This operation is similar to a midurethral sling operation. Both procedures use a sling to support the urethra, but an autologous fascial sling also supports the pelvic floor muscles. This strengthens the urethra against pressure in your abdomen when you do sudden movements such as coughing or sneezing. The urethra is supported and in turn prevents unexpected urinary leakage.
Where the autologous fascial sling operation differs from the midurethral sling operation is that in this operation, some of your own connective tissue, called fascia, is cut from your inside your lower abdomen or thigh, and is used by the surgeon to form the sling that is then moved into place underneath your urethra. The surgeon places the sling either at the mid-urethra, or nearer to the bladder.
This means that no synthetic (artificial) material is used in your body. This type of operation can have different complications. For instance, you may have difficulty emptying your bladder after the operation. However, these complications are likely to be more minor than those that sometimes occur in mid-urethral, synthetic slings. It is for this reason that this type of operation has gained popularity.
This type of surgery also means that you would have surgical wounds in two or three places rather than one place, because making the sling from your own body tissue means that the lower belly groin or thigh is also cut into, as well as the incisions that are made in for example, your abdomen and vagina, depending on how the sling is inserted.
