Prevalence of occult stress incontinence in continent women with severe genital prolapse.

We studied 32 clinically continent women with severe prolapse. We found evidence of occult stress incontinence in 10 of these women after reduction of the prolapse with a ring pessary. Our results, confirming the work of others, suggest that a high proportion of women with severe genito-urinary prolapse are at an increased risk of occult stress incontinence that could result in incontinence after surgery for prolapse. Urodynamic studies after restoring anatomy with a ring pessary may identify these women needing anti-incontinence procedures at the time of surgical repair of the prolapse.