Comparison of transobturator tape and functional electrical stimulation methods in pure stress urinary incontinence.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the current study was to compare the effectiveness of the functional electrical stimulation (FES) and transobturator tape (TOT) methods in the management of pure stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

This clinical study was performed on 58 pure SUI patients. FES and TOT groups were compared in terms of intensity of complaints and changes in quality of life before and after the therapy. The ICIQ-SF and EORTC QLQ-30 questionnaires were applied via interview method. The objective cure rate was evaluated by cough and pad tests.

RESULTS

ICIQ-SF scores before and after the treatment and EORTC QLQ-30 scores before the treatment were similar in FES and TOT groups. After treatment, functional and symptomatic outcomes were similar in FES and TOT groups (p = 0.05 and p = 0.115), while general health status outcomes were better in FES group (p = 0.007). There was no significant difference between two groups regarding the objective cure rate.

CONCLUSION

Our results have shown that FES and TOT are similar in their effect on the alleviation of urine leakage. However, FES seems to be superior to TOT for improvement of quality of life. Further studies are needed to compare the efficacy of these two treatment modalities.