What surgical treatments are available for stress incontinence?

Objectives:

To examine the efficacy and tolerability of antimuscarinic therapy in women with urge-predominant mixed incontinence.

Methods:

This was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial comprising 854 women with urge-predominant mixed incontinence, including urge incontinence (five or more episodes per week), urinary Frequency (eight or more micturitions on average in 24 hours), and urgency in combination with stress incontinence. Women received 8 weeks of treatment with tolterodine tartrate extended-release (ER) 4 mg or placebo once daily. The outcome measures included urge incontinence episodes per week, stress incontinence episodes per week, micturition Frequency per 24 hours, urgency episodes per 24 hours, volume voided per micturition, patient perception of bladder condition, and assessment of treatment benefit.

Results:

After 8 weeks, tolterodine ER produced a statistically significant decrease in the weekly urge incontinence episodes compared with placebo (-12.3 versus -8.0; P<0.0001). Other micturition variables improved significantly more with tolterodine ER. No difference was found between treatment groups regarding the change in the number of stress incontinence episodes. A significantly greater proportion of patients receiving tolterodine ER than those receiving placebo reported improvement in bladder condition (61% versus 46%; P<0.001) and treatment benefit (76% versus 55%; P<0.001). After 8 weeks, the tolterodine ER group had experienced statistically significant improvements compared with the placebo group in 9 of 10 quality-of-life domains. The Frequency of adverse events was similar between treatment groups.

Conclusions:

Tolterodine ER is an effective treatment of urge urinary incontinence, Frequency, and urgency in women with concomitant stress urinary incontinence. The efficacy of tolterodine ER in reducing urge incontinence episodes was unaffected by the presence of stress incontinence. The results of this study support the first-line use of antimuscarinic therapy to treat the urge incontinence component of urge-predominant mixed incontinence.

Please click on the required question.

• 1  How is urine produced?
• 2  What is cystitis?
• 3  How prevalent is cystitis?
• 4  What is honeymoon cystitis?
• 5  What are Frequency and nocturia?
• 6  How prevalent are Frequency and nocturia?
• 7  What is urinary incontinence?
• 8  What is stress incontinence of urine?
• 9  What is urgency, urge incontinence and the urge syndrome?
• 10 What causes stress and urge incontinence?
• 11 What is dribbling incontinence?
• 12 How prevalent is urinary incontinence?
• 13 What is the urethral syndrome?
• 14 How can I record my bladder problems and monitor the effects of treatment?
• 15 What simple measures are available to reduce urinary incontinence?
• 16 What are pelvic floor exercises?
• 17 How successful are pelvic floor exercises?
• 18 What is bladder training?
• 19 How effective is bladder training?
• 20 Are there any alternatives to bladder training for urgency symptoms?
• 21 If simple measures do not suffice, what else is available for the treatment of urinary stress incontinence?
• 22 What are urodynamic studies?
• 23 Where can I obtain further information about bladder problems?
• 24 Support Groups.

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This is the personal website of David A Viniker MD FRCOG, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Whipps Cross University Hospital, London - Specialist Interests - Reproductive Medicine including Infertility, PCOS, PMS, Menopause and HRT.

I do hope that you find the answers to your women's health questions in the patient information and medical advice provided.