Single-incision mini-slings are just as effective as standard mid-urethral slings for treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women, according to a new study.

The findings mean that affected patients now have two surgical options available to them with relatively short recovery periods, UK clinicians report.

In the non-inferiority, government-funded trial, the University of Aberdeen-led team assigned 596 women (mean age 50) across 21 hospitals to receive either mini-slings or mid-urethral slings to compare efficacy and safety.

At 15 months, the patient-reported success rate was 79% among mini-sling recipients versus 76% for those who received a mid-urethral sling, the authors found.