title: Comparison of the quality of life after nonsurgical radiofrequency energy tissue micro-remodeling in premenopausal and postmenopausal women with moderate-to-severe stress urinary incontinence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was undertaken to determine the effect of menopause and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on incontinence quality of life (I-QOL) score improvement in women with moderate-to-severe stress urinary incontinence (SUI) after nonsurgical, transurethral radiofrequency energy (RF) tissue micro-remodeling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Women with moderate-to-severe SUI were analyzed by menopausal status and HRT use for 10-point or greater I-QOL score improvement (an increase associated with subjective and objective SUI improvement).
  
  
  RESULTS
  RF micro-remodeling resulted in 81% of subjects achieving 10-point or greater I-QOL score improvement versus 49% of sham subjects at 12 months ( P = .04). Outcomes did not differ statistically when premenopausal (85%), postmenopausal using HRT (70%), and postmenopausal not using HRT (71%) groups were compared.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Menopausal status and HRT demonstrated no impact on the quality of life improvement experienced by women with moderate-to-severe SUI who underwent RF tissue micro-remodeling.
authors.affiliation: Tacoma Women's Specialist, WA, USA. jlenihan@comcast.net
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lenihan
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D011788:Quality of Life; D011846:Radio Waves; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014481:United States; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000532:radiotherapy*