The role of combined pelvic floor stimulation and biofeedback in female urinary incontinence: early experience

Abstract

A series of 109 female patients with urinary incontinence were treated by pelvic floor stimulation and biofeedback. Eighty-one patients received the full course of treatment and 28 patients dropped out. Among the 81 patients who completed the treatment, the improvement and cure rates (completely dry) shortly after treatment were 70.4% and 12.3%, respectively. The improvement and cure rates for more than one year after treatment were 47.6% and 14.3% respectively. Seven patients returned for further pelvic floor stimulation and biofeedback and only three patients underwent bladder neck suspension operations after completing treatment. Of the patients who dropped out, 53.6% had shown improvement with pelvic floor stimulation and biofeedback. Side effects were rare with three patients complaining of abdominal pain. These findings suggest that pelvic floor stimulation and biofeedback are useful, safe and conservative treatment modalities for female patients with urinary incontinence.