A long-term study of patient outcomes with pelvic muscle re-education for urinary incontinence

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the level of continence, satisfaction, and compliance with a maintenance pelvic muscle exercise program 12 months or more after discharge from a clinician-supervised pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation program. Setting and subjects: Forty-nine female patients diagnosed with stress, urge, and mixed etiology urinary incontinence were treated with pelvic muscle re-education and biofeedback. Treatment was performed in a urology clinic setting with sessions supervised by a registered nurse. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed for all female patients trained in pelvic muscle exercises from March 1997 through November 1997. Telephone interviews were conducted and questionnaires were administered to determine long-term efficacy of and compliance with pelvic muscle exercises 13 to 20 months after treatment. Results: Fifty-three percent of patients maintained their posttreatment level of continence, and 38% had improved when evaluated 13 to 20 months following treatment (X̄ = 16.6 months). Sixty-nine percent continued to perform pelvic muscle exercises once weekly or several times per week. Conclusions: Clinician-supervised pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation is effective in improving stress and urge incontinence in community-dwelling women with stress, urge, and mixed urinary incontinence. This effect is durable for a period of 16 months, and the majority of women continue to perform pelvic muscle exercises one or more times per week. (J WOCN 2001;28:199-205.)