Abstract
Purpose
To evaluate long-term use, efficacy and tolerability of transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS) in the treatment of refractory overactive bladder (OAB).
Methods
We performed a prospective observational study and included all patients treated in a single center for OAB persisting after first-line anticholinergic treatment, with ≥ 24 months follow-up. The protocol consisted of daily stimulation at home. The primary outcome was treatment persistence. Amelioration was defined as an improvement in urinary symptom profile (USP) score.
Results
We assessed 84 consecutive patients. After a mean follow-up of 39.3 months and a mean treatment use of 8.3 months, almost two-thirds of patients (71.8%) had discontinued TTNS. Treatment continuation was > 12 months for 28 patients (33.3%) and > 18 months for 16 patients (19%). TTNS was successful following 3 months of treatment in 60 (71%) patients. Mean USP score stayed significantly lower than baseline until 12 months of treatment, but was not significant anymore after 18 months. Discontinuation therapy reasons were a lack of sufficient symptom relief for 59 (70%) patients, compliance difficulty for 5 (6%) patients and becoming asymptomatic for 6 (8%) patients. No serious adverse events occurred.
Conclusions
The present study confirms the utility of TTNS as a treatment option for patients with resistant OAB. In the long-term use, few patients continued with therapy, mostly because of a decreased effectiveness with time.
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P-AL: data collection and analysis, and manuscript writing/editing. EB: project development and data collection. SL: manuscript editing. ARA: project development. PB: project development, manuscript editing and data analysis. JC: data analysis and manuscript writing/editing
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.
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Leroux, PA., Brassart, E., Lebdai, S. et al. Transcutaneous tibial nerve stimulation: 2 years follow-up outcomes in the management of anticholinergic refractory overactive bladder. World J Urol 36, 1455–1460 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-018-2296-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-018-2296-5