Practical approach to stress urinary incontinence.

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women is more frequent in the multiparous patient, especially in those postmenopausal after withdrawal of hormonal stimulation of the pelvic supportive tissues. With loss of support of the vesical neck and urethra, sphincter incompetence may result. A patient whose symptoms are purely irritative (urinary frequency, nocturia, urgency, or urge incontinence), without a significant degree of stress incontinence, should not benefit from any operation.