Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

An overview of stress urinary incontinence treatment in women

  • Mini Review
  • Published:
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is common in women, but it is under-reported and under-treated. We review here the management of SUI in women. Pelvic floor muscle training treats SUI in the maprity of female patients, whereas anti-SUI devices are not widely accepted. Duloxetine has been approved for treating SUI. Suburethral slings have revolutionized the surgical management of SUI with durable efficacy, in contrast with injectable bulking agents.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Norton P, Brubaker L. Urinary incontinence in women. Lancet 2006; 367: 57–67.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Wilson L, Brown JS, Shin GP, Lue KO, Subak LL. Annual direct cost of urinary incontinence. Obstet Gynecol 2001; 98: 398–406.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Thuroff J, Abrams P, Andersson KE, et al. European Association of Urology Guidelines on Urinary Incontinence. 2006 Edition: 127–38.

  4. Gomes CM, Arap S, Trigo-Rocha FE. Voiding dysfunction and urodynamic abnormalities in elderly patients. Rev Hosp Clin Fac Med Sao Paulo 2004; 59: 206–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Foldspang A, Mommsen S, Djurhuus JC. Prevalent urinary incontinence as a correlate of pregnancy, vaginal childbirth, and obstetric techniques. Am J Public Health 1999; 89: 209–12.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Viktrup L, Koke S. Burgio KL, Ouslander JG. Stress urinary incontinence in active elderly women. South Med J 2005; 98: 79–89.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Brostrom S, Jennum P, Lose G. Morbidity of urodynamic investigation in healthy women. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct 2002; 13: 182–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Leach GE, Dmochowski RR, Appell RA, et al. Female Stress Urinary Incontinence Clinical Guidelines Panel summary report on surgical management of female stress urinary incontinence. The American Urological Association. J Urol 1997; 158: 875–80.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Madersbacher S, Pycha A, Schatzl G, Mian C, Klingler CH, Marberger M. The aging lower urinary tract: a comparative urodynamic study of men and women. Urology 1998; 51: 206–12.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Hay-Smith EJ, Dumoulin C. Pelvic floor muscle training versus no treatment, or inactive control treatments, for urinary incontinence in women. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2006; 25: CD005654.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Alhasso A, Glazener CM, Pickard R, N’dow J. Adrenergic drugs for urinary incontinence in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2005; 20: CD001842.CD00

    Google Scholar 

  12. Lapitan MC, Cody DJ, Grant AM. Open retropubic colposuspension for urinary incontinence in women. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2005; 20: CD002912.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Bezerra CA, Bruschini H, Cody DJ. Traditional suburethral sling operations for urinary incontinence in women. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2005; 20: CD001754.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Teunissen TA, de Jonge A, van Weel C, Lagro-Janssen AL. Treating urinary incontinence in the elderly- conservative therapies that work: a systematic review. J Fam Pract 2004; 53: 25–30.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Kegel AH. Progressive resistance exercise in the functional restoration of the perineal muscle. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1948; 56: 238–49.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Rovner ES, Wein AJ. Treatment options for stress urinary incontinence. Rev Urol 2004; 6(Suppl 3): 29–47.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Bo K. Adherence to pelvic floor muscle exercise and long-term effect on stress urinary incontinence. A five-year follow-up study. Scand J Med Sci Sports 1995; 5: 36–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Rousseau P, Fuentevilla-Clifton A. Urinary incontinence in the aged, Part 2: Management strategies. Geriatrics 1992; 47: 37–40.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Miller JM, Ashton-Miller JA, DeLancey JO. A pelvic muscle precontraction can reduce cough-related urine loss in selected women with mild SUI. J Am Geriatr Soc 1998; 46: 870–4.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Berghmans LCM, Hendriks HJM, Bo K, et al. Conservative treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials. Br J Urol 1998; 82: 181–91.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Goode PS, Burgio KL, Locher JL, et al. Effect of behavioral training with or without pelvic floor electrical stimulation on stress incontinence in women: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2003; 290: 345–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Nygaard I. Prevention of exercise incontinence with mechanical devices. J Reprod Med 1995; 40: 89–94.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Wilson PD, Bo K, Hay-Smith J, et al. Conservative Treatment in Women. In: Abrams P, Cardozo L, Khoury S, Wein A, et al. (eds), Incontinence. 2nd ed. Plymouth. UK: Health Publication Ltd. 2002, 571–624.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Hextall A. Oestrogens and lower urinary tract function. Maturitas 2000; 36: 83–92.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Cardozo L. Role of estrogens in the treatment of female urinary incontinence. J Am Geriatr Soc 1990; 38: 326–8.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Grady D, Brown JS, Vittinghoff E, Applegate W, Varner E, Snyder T. Postmenopausal hormones and incontinence: the Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study. Obstet Gynecol 2001; 97: 116–20.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. La Grenade L, Graham DJ, Nourjah P. Underreporting of hemorrhagic stroke associated with phenylpropanolamine. JAMA 2001; 286: 3081.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. van Kerrebroek P, Abrams P, Lange R, et al. Duloxetine versus placebo in the treatment of European and Canadian women with stress urinary incontinence. BJOG 2004; 111: 249–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Norton PA, Zinner NR, Yalcin I, Bump RC. Duloxetine versus placebo in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002; 187: 40–8.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Morse AN, Labin LC, Young SB, Aronson MP, Gurwitz JH. Exclusion of elderly women from published randomized trials of stress incontinence surgery. Obstet Gynecol 2004; 104: 498–503.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Nygaard IE, Heit M. Stress urinary incontinence. Obstet Gynecol 2004; 104: 607–20.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Bergman A, Elia G. Three surgical procedures for genuine stress incontinence: five-year follow-up of a prospective randomized study. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1995; 173: 66–71.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Ankardal M, Ekerydh A, Crafoord K, Milsom I, Stjerndahl JH, Engh ME. A randomized trial comparing open Burch colposuspension using sutures with laparoscopic colposuspension using mesh and staples in women with stress urinary incontinence. BJOG 2004; 111: 974–81.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Leach GE, Sirls L. Pubovaginal sling procedures. Atlas Urol Clin North Am 1994; 2: 61–71.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Ulmsten U, Johnson P, Rezapour M. A three-year follow up of tension free vaginal tape for surgical treatment of female stress urinary incontinence. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1999; 106: 345–50.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Nilsson CG, Kuuva N, Falconer C, Rezapour M, Ulmsten U. Long-term results of the tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) procedure for surgical treatment of female stress urinary incontinence. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct 2001; 12(suppl 2): 5–8.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Costa P, Delmas V. Trans-obturator-tape procedure —“inside out or outside in”: current concepts and evidence base. Curr Opin Urol 2004; 14: 313–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Lim J, Cornish A, Carey M. Clinical and quality-of-life outcomes in women treated by the TVT-O procedure. BJOG 2006; 113: 1315–20.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Dmochowski RR, Appell RA. Injectable agents in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women: where are we now? Urology 2000; 56: 32–40.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Lightner DJ. Review of the available urethral bulking agents. Curr Opin Urol 2002; 12: 333–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Pereyra AJ. A simplified surgical procedure for the correction of stress urinary incontinence in women. West J Surg Obstet Gynecol 1959; 67: 223–6.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Liedl B. Treatment of urinary incontinence in the elderly woman. MMW Fortschr Med 2005; 147: 48–50.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Urology, School of Medicine, University of Athens, “Sismanoglio” General Hospital of Athens, Greece

    Athanasios G. Papatsoris MD, MSc, PhD, FEBU, Michael Chrisofos & Charalambos Deliveliotis

  2. “Amalia Fleming” General Hospital of Athens, Greece

    Nikolaos Antoniou

  3. “Agios Andreas” Regional Hospital of Patras, Greece

    Aristomenis Gekas

Authors
  1. Athanasios G. Papatsoris MD, MSc, PhD, FEBU
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael Chrisofos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nikolaos Antoniou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Aristomenis Gekas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Charalambos Deliveliotis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Athanasios G. Papatsoris MD, MSc, PhD, FEBU.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Papatsoris, A.G., Chrisofos, M., Antoniou, N. et al. An overview of stress urinary incontinence treatment in women. Aging Clin Exp Res 19, 334–340 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324711

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324711

Keywords

Search

Navigation