PURPOSE: We evaluated the long-term efficacy and safety of the innovative replacement of incontinence surgery (IRIS) procedure and compared these with the tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) procedure for the treatment of female stress urinary incontinence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 111 consecutively treated women who underwent IRIS (n=51) or TVT (n=60) between January 2002 and December 2003 and followed them up for at least 5 years postoperatively. We analyzed the 5-year success rate and postoperative complications of the IRIS procedure and compared these with the results of the TVT procedure. RESULTS: The 5-year success rate was 92.2% for the IRIS procedure and 93.3% for the TVT procedure, and the satisfaction rates were 90.2% and 85.0%, respectively. Intraoperative complications for the IRIS group included 4 cases of bladder perforation, and there were 5 cases of bladder perforation in the TVT group. The postoperative complications for the IRIS group included 3 patients with de novo urgency, 2 patients with mesh exposure, and 1 patient with temporary urinary retention. Four patients in the TVT group developed de novo urgency, 2 patients had mesh exposure, and 2 patients showed temporary urinary retention. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that IRIS may be an effective and safe procedure compared with the TVT procedure for more than 5 years.