The Incidence of Early and Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections After Midurethral Sling Operations

Objective: To define the incidence of early and recurrent urinary tract infections (RUTIs) in the 12-month postoperative period following midurethral sling (MUS) operations and evaluate for risk factors. Methods: This retrospective chart review compiled all urine analyses and urine culture results within 12 months of MUS surgery on all patients in the years 2006-2012 for which data were available. All coincident risk factors were tabulated. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS v 9.2 (SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina). Results: 141 MUS procedures were performed in the 6-year time frame utilizing standard antibiotic prophylaxis regimens. 133 had adequate data for analysis. 10 patients (7.5% confidence intervals [CI] [3.7-12.4]) developed an acute UTI in the first 8 weeks postoperatively. 3 of 121 patients (2.3% CI [0.5-5.9]) developed RUTIs in the first year following surgery. Bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses of the data did not reveal any risk factors for either isolated postoperative UTIs or RUTIs. Conclusions: This study documents a low incidence of both acute and RUTIs in the female population undergoing MUS operations. These results support the current recommendations for perioperative prophylactic antibiotics for anti-incontinence procedures.