An ultra-short perineal pad-test for evaluation of female stress urinary incontinence treatment

We assessed the reproducibility and feasibility of a rapid perineal pad-tes t designed for evaluation of stress urinary incontinence treatment. In an e xperimental study, we included 34 women with genuine stress incontinence, 1 3 with urge incontinence and 10 non-incontinent volunteers for a repeated p ad-test with a standardized bladder volume (300 mL) and a standardized phys ical activity during one minute. The pad was weighed before and after the e xercise to estimate the volume of any leaked urine. In order to find out th e percentage of unselected, incontinent women who had been able to perform a preoperative pad-test. we identified all 120 women operated on for stress : incontinence during a one-year period in a separate retrospective analysi s. In another retrospective analysis, we compared the subjective outcome of laparoscopic colposuspension with the outcome of the test performed before and after the procedure among 93 women with genuine stress incontinence. A mong stress incontinent women, the median of the differences in leakage bet ween the first and the second test was 8.5 mL (range 0-60 mL) and the repea tability coefficient was 33.6 mL. None of the 13 women with urge incontinen ce leaked during the tests. One of the 10 controls leaked (during both test s). Of the unselected women, 104/120 (87%) were able to perform the test. R eduction of leaking after surgery was significantly associated with subject ive report of outcome (P < 0.0001). In conclusion, the described pad-test h as an acceptable reproducibility and feasibility making it suitable for fol low-up studies. Neurourol. Urodynam. 20:277-285, 2001. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.