Vaginal Slings Market

Vaginal sling procedures have witnessed an increase in demand owing to the rise in preference for the treatment of urinary incontinence. Women suffering from severe urinary incontinence lose bladder control and experience urine leakage after coughing or sneezing that affects the patients daily life, so they are advised to undergo vaginal sling surgeries.

Due to the rise in the number of women experiencing urinary incontinence, especially stress urinary incontinence across the globe is set to propel the market growth. Thus, soaring female geriatric population boosts market growth. Moreover, an increase in developments pertaining to materials utilized in constructing advanced vaginal slings supplements the growth of the market. Moreover, increase in the technological advancements regarding vaginal slings offer profitable opportunities for the expansion of the market.

Urinary incontinence is a significant medical issue with extensive social and financial effect. Also, in young women, the predominance of incontinence is generally low. However, it peaks around menopause, with an enduring rise there-after into later life. Urinary incontinence is more common in women than in men. This condition has been on the rise globally due to factors such as age, family history, and lower urinary tract symptoms. Several chronic diseases, such as diabetes and neurological diseases (multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease) can also lead to urinary incontinence.

As per the National Association for Incontinence, stress urinary incontinence is the most prevalent form of incontinence among women which affects nearly 15 million adult women in the US in 2017. Pregnancy, childbirth, and menopause are major reasons for the increased prevalence of incontinence in women as compared to men which in turn has led to the growth of the global vaginal slings market. The worldwide increase of the incidence of urinary incontinence has resulted in the high adoption rate of vaginal or urinary sling procedures to address urinary incontinence. Thus, with the global increase in the number of urinary incontinence cases, the treatment procedures such as vaginal sling surgeries are increasing.

Further, the incontinence might be a consequence of bladder dysfunction, sphincter dysfunction, or a combination of both, yet extensive studies are not intended to decide the etiology. In women, moderate and severe incontinence both have a prevalence range of about 3% to 17%. Severe incontinence has a low prevalence in young women, but this rate rapidly increases at the age between 70 and 80 years. Stress incontinence accounts for less than 10% of cases and is attributable to prostate surgery, trauma, or neurological injury. Thus, with the growing prevalence rate of urinary incontinence, the market is expected to show additional growth.

Medical tourism initiatives taken up by governments have played a major role in the growth of the health care sector globally. The key treatment areas of focus for medical tourism include cancer (often high-acuity or last resort) and cardiovascular and bladder disorders (including urinary incontinence). These initiatives have allowed people globally to seek for treatment solutions while considering various factors such as cost, quality, and downtime of the procedure.

Cost is a significant factor contributing to the growth of medical tourism. The hospitals and clinics present in countries such as India offer vaginal sling procedures at much lower costs than the developed countries, prompting patients to seek treatment here. This leads to an increase in revenue and volume of these procedures in these countries.

Various surgeries are performed for the treatment of urinary incontinence, but with these treatments, various complications arise. For example, urethral sling surgery, likewise called mid-urethral sling surgery, is done to treat urinary incontinence. A sling is set around the urethra to lift it back into a normal position and to apply weight on the urethra to help pee maintenance. The sling is connected to the stomach (belly) wall. The common complications associated with slings include urinary tract infections, hemorrhage or wound hematoma, and overactive bladder.

According to the study conducted by the International Continence Society in 2013, the postoperative wound infections are reported to occur in approximately 12% of sling procedures and are more frequent with autologous fascia. However, in the review published by the American Urological Association a much lower rate of wound infection with sling procedures was reported (nearly 0.1%). The wound infection rate was similar among autologous, homologous and synthetic slings.

In assessing the long-term clinical value of a technique both long-term and short-term complications should be assessed, as conventional continence procedures have well-documented complications. Immediate complications include hemorrhage, urinary tract and visceral injuries, and urinary tract infection. Short-term problems include wound infection, osteitis pubis, nerve injuries, and voiding dysfunction. Long-term complications include bladder overactivity, stitch/ sling erosion, dyspareunia, and genital prolapse. Thus, with the following complication after the surgery, some patients may hesitate to take the treatment, and thus this factor will hinder the growth of the global vaginal slings market.