This abdominal procedure has been the ‘Gold Standard’ for treatment of Urinary Stress Incontinence for many years. It involves placing permanent sutures on each side of the urethra (the tube which connects the urinary bladder to the outside of the body), to provide support when coughing, sneezing or moving suddenly.
It used to imply a hospital stay of several days, but Dr. Wilkie’s modifications such as minimally invasive surgery or laparoscopy, converted this to a Day Care Surgical setting. Women leave the same day and can return to normal activities within days of surgery.
Despite these advances, the Burch procedure has been largely replaced by the newer Trans Vaginal Tape Procedures. These are less invasive procedures and take less time to perform, require less anesthetic medication and have less “down time” compared to the Burch. The Trans Vaginal Tape procedures are equally effective when compared to the Burch, and in some instances may be more effective. Women whose previous surgery has failed, who are obese or who are poor surgical candidates due to other medical problems are usually better treated with Trans Vaginal Tape.