title: Urodynamic assessment of sphincteric function in the incontinent female: which test, and does it matter anyway?
abstract: The overall prevalence of urinary incontinence among women surveyed in the United States is approximately 37%. The lifetime risk of undergoing urinary incontinence surgery for women in the United States is estimated to be 11.1%. Conservative therapy can be instituted without performing extensive evaluation such as urodynamics, voiding cystourethrograms, ultrasonography, or video studies. Further evaluation is recommended when conservative measures have failed or if invasive, potentially morbid surgical therapies are being considered. This paper reviews the available methods for evaluating the urinary sphincter in the incontinent female.
authors.affiliation: University of Iowa, Department of Urology, 200 Hawkins Drive, 3 RCP, Iowa City, IA 52242-1089, USA. bernard-fallon@uiowa.edu
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fallon
authors.forename: Karl J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Kreder
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014521:Urethra / Q000473:pathology; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014563:Urodynamics