External Urinary Devices for Stress Urinary Incontinence: Does One Size Fit All?

Both males and females can be effected by stress urinary incontinence (SUI), with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. External urinary devices (EUDs) can help in managing incontinence in daily life and thus improve quality of life. EUDs include absorbent products, female external catheters, male external catheters/sheaths, and penile compression devices/clamps. To address the needs of individual patient, a shared decision-making process is essential, with the involvement of health care professionals specialized in continence care. Future challenges include the sustainability of devices (in particular absorbent products) owing to their significant carbon footprint. Advances in digital and technical processes present opportunities for innovation in this field. PATIENT SUMMARY: A wide range of external urinary devices are available for patients with stress urinary incontinence. To ensure the best choice for each patient according to their individual needs, shared decision-making is essential with guidance from a health care professional with expertise in continence care. For patients without access to such expertise, reliable noncommercial information can be found online.