Electrical stimulation for voiding dysfunction after spinal cord injury.

Incontinence and frequency of voiding were present after spinal cord injuries in 18 patients. A hyperreflexic bladder and/or pelvic floor weakness was found in these patients. Functional electrical stimulation resulted in relief or improvement of symptoms in 9 of the 11 patients in whom this procedure was used. An increase in anal sphincter pressure with functional electrical stimulation was a more reliable criterion than an increase in maximum urethral pressure in the selection of patients for the procedure.