Treatment options for patients with suboptimal response to surgery for stress urinary incontinence

Vaginal Bipolar Radiofrequency Treatment of Mild SUI: A Pilot Retrospective Study

Background and Objectives: This retrospective study investigates the action of a bipolar, temperature controlled, endovaginal RF handpiece for the treatment of mild, moderate, and severe stress urinary incontinence with a minimally invasive approach. Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common condition resulting in involuntary urine leakage, with an associated social and psychological impact. SUI is the most common type of urinary incontinence in women. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively studied 54 patients for this study. The bipolar radiofrequency energy used in all patients was 50 W, with temperatures maintained between 41 °C and 44 °C. Two sessions were performed four weeks apart. In order to monitor all patients before the first treatment and 4 months after the second treatment, the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF) was used. Paired Student's t test was used to elaborate the statistical data. Results: The average frequency of urine leak improved from "2-3 times a week" (2.1 ± 1.3 points before the treatment) to "once a week" (0.8 ± 1.3 points 4 MFU post-treatment). The average volume improved from "small/moderate quantity" (3.2 ± 1.6 points before the treatment) to "none" (0.9 ± 1.4 points 4 MFU post-treatment). No adverse events or side effects were found. Conclusion: Our preliminary results represent a good starting point to check the effectiveness and validity of the bipolar radiofrequency temperature-controlled method in the treatment of SUI.

Transurethral radiofrequency collagen denaturation for the treatment of women with urinary incontinence

BACKGROUND

Transurethral radiofrequency collagen denaturation is a relatively novel, minimally invasive device-based intervention used to treat individuals with urinary incontinence (UI). No systematic review of the evidence supporting its use has been published to date.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy of transurethral radiofrequency collagen denaturation, compared with other interventions, in the treatment of women with UI.Review authors sought to compare the following.• Transurethral radiofrequency collagen denaturation versus no treatment/sham treatment.• Transurethral radiofrequency collagen denaturation versus conservative physical treatment.• Transurethral radiofrequency collagen denaturation versus mechanical devices (pessaries for UI).• Transurethral radiofrequency collagen denaturation versus drug treatment.• Transurethral radiofrequency collagen denaturation versus injectable treatment for UI.• Transurethral radiofrequency collagen denaturation versus other surgery for UI.

SEARCH METHODS

We conducted a systematic search of the Cochrane Incontinence Group Specialised Register (searched 19 December 2014), EMBASE and EMBASE Classic (January 1947 to 2014 Week 50), Google Scholar and three trials registries in December 2014, along with reference checking. We sought to identify unpublished studies by handsearching abstracts of major gynaecology and urology meetings, and by contacting experts in the field and the device manufacturer.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised and quasi-randomised trials of transurethral radiofrequency collagen denaturation versus no treatment/sham treatment, conservative physical treatment, mechanical devices, drug treatment, injectable treatment for UI or other surgery for UI in women were eligible.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We screened search results and selected eligible studies for inclusion. We assessed risk of bias and analysed dichotomous variables as risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and continuous variables as mean differences (MDs) with 95% CIs. We rated the quality of evidence using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach.

MAIN RESULTS

We included in the analysis one small sham-controlled randomised trial of 173 women performed in the United States. Participants enrolled in this study had been diagnosed with stress UI and were randomly assigned to transurethral radiofrequency collagen denaturation (treatment) or a sham surgery using a non-functioning catheter (no treatment). Mean age of participants in the 12-month multi-centre trial was 50 years (range 22 to 76 years).Of three patient-important primary outcomes selected for this systematic review, the number of women reporting UI symptoms after intervention was not reported. No serious adverse events were reported for the transurethral radiofrequency collagen denaturation arm or the sham treatment arm during the 12-month trial. Owing to high risk of bias and imprecision, we downgraded the quality of evidence for this outcome to low. The effect of transurethral radiofrequency collagen denaturation on the number of women with an incontinence quality of life (I-QOL) score improvement ≥ 10 points at 12 months was as follows: RR 1.11, 95% CI 0.77 to 1.62; participants = 142, but the confidence interval was wide. For this outcome, the quality of evidence was also low as the result of high risk of bias and imprecision.We found no evidence on the number of women undergoing repeat continence surgery. The risk of other adverse events (pain/dysuria (RR 5.73, 95% CI 0.75 to 43.70; participants = 173); new detrusor overactivity (RR 1.36, 95% CI 0.63 to 2.93; participants = 173); and urinary tract infection (RR 0.95, 95% CI 0.24 to 3.86; participants = 173) could not be established reliably as the trial was small. Evidence was insufficient for assessment of whether use of transurethral radiofrequency collagen denaturation was associated with an increased rate of urinary retention, haematuria and hesitancy compared with sham treatment in 173 participants. The GRADE quality of evidence for all other adverse events with available evidence was low as the result of high risk of bias and imprecision.We found no evidence to inform comparisons of transurethral radiofrequency collagen denaturation with conservative physical treatment, mechanical devices, drug treatment, injectable treatment for UI or other surgery for UI.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

It is not known whether transurethral radiofrequency collagen denaturation, as compared with sham treatment, improves patient-reported symptoms of UI. Evidence is insufficient to show whether the procedure improves disease-specific quality of life. Evidence is also insufficient to show whether the procedure causes serious adverse events or other adverse events in comparison with sham treatment, and no evidence was found for comparison with any other method of treatment for UI.

Obturator Nerve Injury: An Infrequent Complication of TOT Procedure

Transvaginal mid-urethral slings have become the most preferred surgical treatment option for female stress urinary incontinence. However, various complications have been reported for these operations occurring especially during penetration of the retropubic space. It can negatively affect patient's quality of life. Early treatment increases the chance of complete normalization of the functions. In this case report we presented a case of obturator nerve damage that was diagnosed and treated at early stage after TOT operation.

Sling plication for recurrent stress urinary incontinence

OBJECTIVES

: Management of recurrent stress urinary incontinence (SUI) after synthetic mid-urethral sling placement is a challenging clinical dilemma. This case series describes a safe, minimally invasive treatment option for recurrent SUI after failure of the primary mid-urethral sling procedure.

METHODS

: Twenty women with recurrent SUI after previous synthetic mid-urethral sling placement underwent plication of the sling with 2-0 polyester suture under intravenous sedation with an intra-operative cough stress test between December 2004 and December 2008. A retrospective chart review was performed to obtain pertinent preoperative and postoperative data.

RESULTS

: Nine of the patients had prior retropubic synthetic mid-urethral slings. The other 11 women had transobturator mid-urethral slings, 10 of whom had slings via the outside-in approach and 1 had a single-incision mini-sling placed. The mean patient age was 59.8 years (range 38-83 years). Sling plication was performed at a median of 159.5 days after initial sling placement (range 26-2090 days). Overall 85% of patients had subjective improvement in SUI after sling plication with a median follow-up of 54.5 days (range 29-972 days). Those patients with prior retropubic slings had a 100% improvement rate compared to 72% improvement with prior obturator slings (P = 0.22). The subjective cure rate was 65%, 88% for the retropubic slings and 45% for the transobturator slings (P = 0.07). There were no complications.

CONCLUSIONS

: Midline plication of previously placed synthetic mid-urethral slings is a safe and effective method of treating recurrent SUI.

Management of Recurrent or Persistent Stress Urinary Incontinence after Mid-urethral Sling

The mid-urethral sling (MUS) procedure is the most common treatment modality for women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Although this procedure is highly successful, 5-20% of patients undergoing MUS experience persistent or recurrent SUI, regarded as surgical failure. However, little is known about methods to evaluate and manage patients who fail MUS procedures. The surgical options in these patients include bulking agent injection, shortening of pre-implanted tape, pubovaginal sling and repeat MUS. Of these secondary procedures, repeat MUS is the most widely studied, although this has been limited to small case series without long-term follow-up. Repeat MUS for prior MUS failure has shown relatively good success rates, ranging from 55 to 90%, with better outcomes obtained using the retropubic rather than the transobturator route. Persistent or recurrent SUI may also be successfully managed with less invasive techniques, such as tape shortening and periurethral injection of a bulking agent. Transurethral injection therapy for primary SUI has shown success rates of more than 65% at 1 year; however, these decreased significantly thereafter to around 30% at long-term follow-up. Since the optimal management of recurrent or persistent SUI after MUS has not yet been established, long-term, prospective, randomized trials are warranted.

Quantification of neurological and other contributors to continence in female rats

Smooth muscle, striated muscle, their central and peripheral innervations and control, and mucosal coaptation contribute to maintenance of continence. We used manual leak point pressure (mLPP) testing and electrical stimulation LPP (eLPP) testing in female rats to quantify the contribution of these factors to urethral resistance, a measure of continence. Abdominal muscles were electrically stimulated to induce leakage for eLPP. A Crede maneuver was applied for mLPP. These were repeated after complete T8 spinal cord injury (SCI) and/or bilateral pudendal nerve transection (PNT). After euthanasia, mLPP was repeated. MLPP was not significantly affected by opening the abdomen, suggesting that intra-abdominal pressure transmission contributes little to continence during slow pressure changes. ELPP was significantly higher than mLPP in intact rats, after PNT, and after SCI+PNT, suggesting that abdominal pressure transmission contributes to continence during rapid increases in intra-abdominal pressure. MLPP decreased significantly after PNT, indicating that urethral striated muscles contribute significantly to continence. ELPP decreased significantly after PNT with and without SCI, suggesting that supraspinal control significantly affects continence during rapid pressure changes, but not during slow pressure changes. MLPP after euthanasia was significantly decreased compared to mLPP after SCI+PNT, suggesting that urethral mucosal seal coaptation and tissue elasticity also contribute to continence. The urethra is a complex organ that maintains continence via a highly organized and hierarchical system involving both the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Radiofrequency for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a socially disabling disorder that affects a large population of women around the world. Surgical treatments for SUI typically seek to recapitulate the support of the endopelvic fascia and reduce urethral hypermobility or improve urethral compressive forces. Radio-frequency energy is a potent tool for such treatment, as it is in other medical specialties. The development of transurethral approach techniques affords a major advantage because this nonsurgical procedure can be performed in an office setting with the use of an oral sedative and local anesthesia. The data collected to date suggest that radiofrequency treatment of SUI has promising efficacy and entails a minimal risk of adverse events. Further randomized studies with longer follow-up are needed to assess the ultimate role of this procedure in future urology practice.

Long-term efficacy of the pubovaginal Mersilene mesh sling

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to determine the efficacy of the pubovaginal Mersilene mesh sling (PVMMS) for complicated urodynamic stress incontinence (USI).

STUDY DESIGN

Between 1990 and 2008, patients with USI plus an at-risk diagnosis underwent a PVMMS by a single surgeon. They were followed up with urodynamics (UDE) and Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-short form 20 (PFDI-20). Stratification was in an at-risk hierarchy: intrinsic sphincter deficiency (ISD) greater than recurrent USI (RUSI) greater than USI with chronically increased intraabdominal pressure (CI-IAP). A cough stress test determined objective cure. PFDI question 17 assessed subjective cure.

RESULTS

Three hundred six patients with ISD (43.5%), RUSI (26.8%), and CI-IAP (29.7%) had objective cure rates of 89.2% in the short term, 86.7% in the intermediate term, and 91.2% in the long term. A group of 48 patients with both short- and long-term UDEs showed cures of 100% and 91.7%. Long-term objective cure rates were: ISD, 90.5% (n = 21); RUSI, 84.2%, (n = 19); CI-IAP, 100% (n = 17). The mean score of postoperative PFDI question 17 was 0.57 (n = 119). Mean symptom improvement was -2.98 (n = 52; P < .0001).

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated PVMMS to be subjectively and objectively effective in long-term treatment of complicated forms of USI.

Reoperation for urinary incontinence

OBJECTIVE(S)

The objective of the study was to describe the rate and associated factors of reoperation for urinary incontinence.

STUDY DESIGN

A cohort study using Washington state hospitalization records from 1987 to 2005 of inpatient urinary incontinence surgeries. The cumulative reoperation rate was estimated for the entire cohort and by procedure. Cox regression was used to estimate the hazard of reoperation.

RESULTS

A total of 41,705 women underwent either a sling or retropubic colposuspension (Burch); 1895 underwent reoperation for urinary incontinence (8.6%; 95% confidence interval, 7.8-9.5%), a rate of 5.5 per 1000 woman-years. Women undergoing Burch had a lower reoperation rate than those undergoing slings (4.2 vs 6.7 per 1000 woman-years; P < .001). Concomitant hysterectomy was associated with a lower reoperation rate for Burch and sling repairs (5.4-2.9 and 7.7-4.2 per 1000 woman-years).

CONCLUSION(S)

Reoperation for urinary incontinence occurs commonly in the general population. The variable reoperation rate observed should be further investigated, given current trends toward increased Sling use.

Stress urinary incontinence in women: what options lie between traditional therapies and surgery?

Stress urinary incontinence affects women of all ages, becoming more prevalent with increasing age. While many nonsurgical therapies are available for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence, options are limited for women who fail to respond to these therapies yet may not be candidates for, or wish to avoid, surgery. This limitation prompted efforts to develop less-invasive procedures for treating stress urinary incontinence patients, including bulking-agent injections and a new transurethral, radiofrequency collagen-denaturation system. This new treatment (Renessa((R))) reduces tissue compliance without necrosis or stricture, thus differentiating it from a surgical radiofrequency treatment, transvaginal radiofrequency tissue ablation. The advent of new treatment options for stress urinary incontinence allows physicians to offer their patients a broader choice of treatment options, underscoring the importance of educating patients regarding all available therapies, including success rates and risk for complications. This is particularly important for women who have not responded to prior treatment strategies.

Nonsurgical transurethral radiofrequency treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women

A transurethral radiofrequency collagen denaturation system was recently approved by the US FDA for nonsurgical, outpatient treatment of women with stress urinary incontinence associated with urethral hypermobility. Controlled radiofrequency energy applied through a transurethral probe heats submucosal tissue to produce collagen denaturation, resulting in reduced tissue compliance without necrosis, thus distinguishing this procedure from transvaginal radiofrequency tissue ablation. Treatment can be administered in 30 min under local anesthesia, without incisions, use of cystoscopy or other visualization of the treatment site. Safety and efficacy have been demonstrated in several studies, including a 12-month, multicenter, sham-procedure-controlled clinical trial in 173 women with mild-to-moderate stress urinary incontinence. In patients receiving active treatment, two of the four groups experienced significant quality-of-life changes (p = 0.004; p = 0.02), and all women exhibited significant increases in Valsalva leak point pressure (p = 0.02 vs sham group).