We compared urodynamic parameters in a group of 30 healthy women of fertile age, before and after primary retropubic colpo-urethrocystopexy carried out to correct genuine stress urinary incontinence. The mean interval between surgical treatment and follow-up was 38.0 (SD 10.2) months. In 26 women, subjectively and objectively cured at follow-up, we found an increase of 5.1 mm in functional length of the urethra (t = 4.5; P less than 0.001), an increase of 12.3 cm H2O in the urethral closure pressure (t = 3.9; P less than 0.001), and a 22.1% increase in the transmission ratio (t = 3.2; P less than 0.01). However, 9 of these 26 women satisfied with the results of the surgical treatment showed a drop in at least 2 of the parameters studied. In the group of 4 women not satisfied with the results of the surgical treatment we found an improvement in all of the urodynamic parameters studied, similar to those found in the group of satisfied women, though less pronounced. This study indicates that successful surgical treatment of genuine stress urinary incontinence is not related to surgically induced changes in the urodynamic parameters.