Efficacy of Electrical Pudendal Nerve Stimulation versus Transvaginal Electrical Stimulation in Treating Female Idiopathic Urgency Urinary Incontinence

Abstract

We compared the efficacy of electrical pudendal nerve stimulation vs transvaginal electrical stimulation to treat female idiopathic urgency urinary incontinence. A total of 120 female patients with idiopathic urgency urinary incontinence refractory to medication were randomized at a ratio of 2:1 to group 1 of 80 patients and group 2 of 40. Groups 1 and 2 were treated with electrical pudendal nerve stimulation and transvaginal electrical stimulation, respectively. To perform electrical pudendal nerve stimulation long acupuncture needles were deeply inserted into 4 sacrococcygeal points and electrified to stimulate pudendal nerves. Outcome measures were the 24-hour pad test and a questionnaire to measure the severity of symptoms and quality of life in women with urgency urinary incontinence. The median severity of symptoms and quality of life score on the urgency urinary incontinence questionnaire (urgency urinary incontinence total score) was 13 (range 7 to 18.75) in group 1 and 11 (range 8 to 16) in group 2 before treatment, which decreased to 2 (range 0 to 6.75) in group 1 and 6.5 (range 3.25 to 10.75) in group 2 (both p <0.01) after the completion of treatment. At the end of treatment in group 1 complete symptom resolution was noted in 34 patients (42.5%), with a 50% or greater symptom improvement rate in 70.1%. In group 2 complete symptom resolution was noted in 1 patient (2.5%) with a 50% or greater symptom improvement rate in 45.0%. The posttreatment urgency urinary incontinence total score was lower and the therapeutic effect was better in group 1 than in group 2 (both p <0.01). Electrical pudendal nerve stimulation is more effective than transvaginal electrical stimulation in treating drug refractory, female idiopathic urgency urinary incontinence.