Maximal external electrical stimulation for treatment of neurogenic or non-neurogenic urgency and/or urge incontinence

Neurourol Urodyn. 1996;15(3):187-94. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1520-6777(1996)15:3<187::AID-NAU3>3.0.CO;2-B.

Abstract

Maximal electrical stimulation by intravaginal or intra-anal electrodes was used for treatment of 75 patients with complaints of urgency and/or urge incontinence. The patient group consisted of 51 women and 24 men. A neurogenic background was present in 30 of the women who had a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, in the other 45 patients the pathology was idiopathic in nature. After 3 weeks of maximal electrical stimulation treatment, composed of 15 sessions of 20 minutes duration, 59% of the patients had urodynamic and subjective improvement and an additional 40% only subjective improvement. One patient found no benefit after this treatment. The effect lasted for at least 2 years in 64% of the idiopathic group. In the multiple sclerosis group relapse occurred within about 2 months. Re-treatment of the failures was successful again immediately; the multiple sclerosis patients do need daily home stimulation treatments.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Child
  • Electric Stimulation Therapy / methods*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multiple Sclerosis / complications
  • Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic / etiology
  • Urinary Bladder, Neurogenic / therapy*
  • Urinary Incontinence / therapy*
  • Urinary Incontinence, Stress / therapy*
  • Urodynamics