The efficacy and safety of common non-drug interventions on stress urinary incontinence: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of common non-pharmacological interventions for alleviating stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in the postpartum period.

METHODS

A systematic search of electronic databases from their inception to December 2024 including PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform, and VIP Database was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing interventions for postpartum SUI. A network meta-analysis was performed to synthesize direct and indirect treatment efficacy data.

RESULTS

Twelve trials evaluating eight different therapies for SUI were included. The Vesair intravesical balloon (VIB) and electroacupuncture (EA) demonstrated the highest effectiveness, showing significant reductions in the 1-hour urine pad test and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-short Form (ICIQ-SF) score compared to controls at the final follow-up. EA emerged as the most promising intervention for SUI treatment among the strategies analyzed. However, caution is warranted due to evidentiary heterogeneity and potential limitations in sample sizes across some studies, which may impact the validity of the findings.

CONCLUSIONS

EA and VIB are identified as promising non-pharmacological interventions for managing SUI.