An Introduction to Urinary Incontinence.

Cover Story:
BioStim™ for Pelvic Floor Strengthening'
Dorothy Stevens RN. RM. Continence Consultant & Practitioner.

Therapy Closeup:
Pelvic Floor Strengthening

Bits n' Pieces:
Bio Notes:
Dorothy Stevens

User Profiles:
Those with incontinence tell their stories.

The Fact Files:
Scientific research in support of Electrical Stimulation for urinary incontinence.

A predictive score index for the outcome of associated biofeedback and vaginal electrical stimulation in the treatment of female incontinence.

J Urol 1995 May;153(5):1461-6

Susset J, Galea G, Manbeck K, Susset A

Department of Urology, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.

A group of 64 women with stress incontinence alone (20), urgency incontinence (7) and mixed incontinence (37) were treated during 12 sessions, each 20 minutes long, during 6 weeks with combined alternating biofeedback and intravaginal electrical stimulation.

Of the patients, 21 had a complete recovery, 20 recovered sufficiently to avoid other forms of treatment and 23 failed to respond to the treatment. Thus, the overall success rate for this treatment was 64%.

Various physiological parameters were collected from each patient before the start of the treatment sessions. Patient age, estrogen status, detrusor hyperreflexia, intravaginal pressure, percent transmission of the abdominal pressure to the urethra, degree of intrinsic sphincter deficiency and compliance with therapy were significant factors affecting the success of treatment.

A statistical analysis was performed on these measurements to generate a score index model capable of predicting the outcome of a treatment consisting of associated biofeedback and electrical stimulation. We present a reliable method for distinguishing between patients who will and will not respond to this form of treatment.

The most significant variables predictive of a good reduction outcome are patient age, presence of estrogen, absence of detrusor instability and intrinsic sphincter deficiency, low urethral hypermobility and, most of all, compliance with treatment.

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