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. 2023 May 16;12(10):3490.
doi: 10.3390/jcm12103490.

The Investigation of Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation (PTNS) as a Minimally Invasive, Non-Surgical, Non-Hormonal Treatment for Overactive Bladder Symptoms

Connor McPhail  1 , Robert Carey  2 , Sidharth Nambiar  3 , Nadia Willison  1 , Saghi Bahadori  4 , Pouria Aryan  1   5 , Tran Nguyen  1   4 , Fariba Behnia-Willison  1   2   3
Affiliations

The Investigation of Percutaneous Tibial Nerve Stimulation (PTNS) as a Minimally Invasive, Non-Surgical, Non-Hormonal Treatment for Overactive Bladder Symptoms

Connor McPhail et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Background: Overactive bladder (OAB) syndrome affects 10-15% of women, severely impacting their quality of life. First-line treatments include behavioural and physical therapy, and second-line medical treatments include medications such as vaginal oestrogen, anticholinergic medications, and ß3-adrenergic agonists-with potential adverse side effects including dizziness, constipation, and delirium, particularly affecting elderly populations. Third-line treatments include more invasive measures, including intradetrusor botulinum injections or sacral nerve modulation, with percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) being a potential alternative treatment.

Aims: The aim of this study was to explore the long-term efficacy of PTNS treatment for OAB in an Australian cohort.

Materials and methods: This is a prospective cohort study. Patients underwent Phase 1 treatment, whereby women received PTNS treatment once per week for 12 weeks. Following Phase 1, women entered Phase 2, whereby they received 12 PTNS treatments over 6 months. Their response to treatment was measured by obtaining data before and after each phase using ICIQ-OAB and the Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire (APFQ).

Results: Phase 1 included 166 women, with 51 completing Phase 2. There was a statistically significant reduction in urinary urgency (29.8%), nocturia (29.8%), incontinence (31.0%), and frequency (33.8%) compared to the baseline. Patients who completed Phase 2 also showed a statistically significant reduction in urinary frequency (56.5%).

Conclusions: Overall, the results from this study are positive and support that PTNS is a minimally invasive, non-surgical, non-hormonal, and effective treatment for OAB. These results suggest that PTNS may be a second-line treatment for patients with OAB not responding to conservative management or for patients aiming to avoid surgical approaches.

Keywords: PTNS; minimally invasive; non-surgical; overactive bladder; urge incontinence.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
ICIQ-OAB Outcomes.
Figure 2
Figure 2
ICIQ-OAB Bothersome Level.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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