Extracorporeal magnetic innervation treatment for urinary incontinence.
BACKGROUND
Extracorporeal magnetic innervation (ExMI) is a new technology used for pelvic muscle strengthening for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence. We explored whether this new technology is effective for patients with urge incontinence, as well as those with stress urinary incontinence.


METHODS
We studied 20 patients with urge incontinence and 17 patients with stress urinary incontinence. The Neocontrol system (Neotonus Inc., Marietta, GA) was used. Treatment sessions were for 20 min, twice a week for 8 weeks. Evaluations were performed by bladder diaries, one-hour pad weight testing, quality-of-life surveys and urodynamic studies.


RESULTS
Of the urge incontinence cases, five patients were cured (25.0%), 12 patients improved (60.0%) and three patients did not show any improvement (15.0%). Leak episodes per day reduced from 5.6 times to 1.9 times at 8 weeks (P < 0.05). Eight patients with urge incontinence recurred within 24 weeks after the last treatment (47.1%). Of the stress incontinence cases, nine patients were cured (52.9%), seven patients improved (41.1%) and one patient did not show any improvement (6%). In one-hour pad weight testing, the mean pad weight reduced from 7.9 g to 1.9 g at 8 weeks (P < 0.05). Three patients returned to the baseline values within 24 weeks after the last treatment (17.6%). No side-effects were experienced by any of the patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the results for urge incontinence were less effective than for stress urinary incontinence, ExMI therapy offers a new option for urge incontinence as well as stress urinary incontinence.
Yokoyama
Teruhiko
T
Department of Urology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine and Dentistry, Okayama 700-8558, Japan. uroyoko@md.okayama-u.ac.jp
Fujita
Osamu
O
Nishiguchi
Jun
J
Nozaki
Kunihiro
K
Nose
Hiroyuki
H
Inoue
Miyabi
M
Ozawa
Hideo
H
Kumon
Hiromi
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008280:Magnetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D010812:Physical Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000628:therapy*; D014563:Urodynamics