PELVIC FLOOR ELECTRICAL-STIMULATION FOR THE TREATMENT OF URGE AND MIXED URINARY-INCONTINENCE IN WOMEN

Objectives. To determine the efficacy of daily or every-other-day elec trical stimulation in treating detrusor instability (urge) or urge plu s genuine stress (mixed) urinary incontinence in women, Methods. A mul ticenter, prospective, nonrandomized study enrolled subjects with urge and mixed urinary incontinence assigned to daily or every-other-day t reatments (15 minutes twice daily) using pelvic floor stimulation, Out come measures assessed were (1) leakage episodes, nocturnal episodes, voiding frequency, total voids, and pad count, and (2) patient subject ive assessment and quality of life, Results, Seventy-two subjects were enrolled. Sixty-eight subjects completed the 20-week protocol: 33 tre ated daily and 35 treated every other day. The entire study group (n = 68) experienced a significant decrease in total leaks (P<0.001), noct urnal episodes (P = 0.001), pad count (P = 0.002), and total voids (P = 0.003) and on visual analog scales. Sixty-nine percent (n = 46) of s ubjects with urge or mixed incontinence were cured or improved by at l east 50%, with 28% (n = 19) being cured. There were no significant dif ferences between daily and every-other-day users. Nonresponse was corr elated with number of previous therapies (P<0.001) and number of vagin al deliveries (P = 0.007). Overall, subjects were 93% compliant with d evice use, and 72% (n = 47) were satisfied with the therapy. Conclusio ns. Twenty weeks of pelvic floor electrical stimulation therapy is eff ective in treating urge and mixed urinary incontinence, regardless of daily or every-other-day treatments. (C) 1997, Elsevier Science Inc. A ll rights reserved.