VAGINAL ACCESS FOR THE TREATMENT OF URINA RY-INCONTINENCE

The vaginal route is routinely used for surgical cure of exersion-indu ced urinary incontinence. This technique has the advantage of being ra pid and easily performed during a short hospital stay. Long-term resul ts however, have been debated. Certain factors have been identified in the literature which would affect long-term failure. These factors in dicate that the ''ideal'' vaginal route should be based on the Burch o peration starting at the upper portion and working downwardly. Finally , sphincter failure or detrusor instability must be eliminated before an operation for exertion-induced incontinence can be indicated since such a combination would modify the procedure.