PURPOSE: This study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of intravaginal pelvic floor electrical stimulation (FES) therapy on bladder irritability symptoms in stress urinary incontinent women.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: The evaluation before and after treatment included the Blaivas´s female Bladder Questionnaire, the quality of life questionnaires and the overall satisfaction with present voiding state using visual analogue test (VAT). All patient were treated for 20 minutes, twice a week for 6 weeks, using a new intravaginal electrical stimulator with microchip (PIC16C74).
RESULTS: After the FES therapy, the overall success rate of the SUI was 50.4.% at 9 months. The bladder irritability symptoms such as frequency, nocturia, urgency, residual urine sensation and lower abdominal discomfort were improved. In particular, the symptoms of frequency, urge incontinence, dysuria were significantly improved after the FES therapy at 9 months. The VAT score of the overall satisfaction with the present voiding state was significantly lower after the FES therapy. 73.7% of patients were satisfied with the FES therapy and complications such as hemorrhage, vaginitis, urinary tract infection and pain were not encountered.
CONCLUSION: These results suggest that FES therapy with microchip improves some bladder irritability in SUI women. Therefore, electrical stimulation therapy should be considered as a first line therapy in SUI women with bladder irritability symptoms.
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