title: Long-term results of the pelvic floor muscle training for female urinary incontinence: an 8-year transition tree and predictive parameters.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The pelvic floor muscle (PFM) training is effective in alleviating the symptoms of urinary incontinence, but there are very few reports available on its long-term effectiveness. Therefore, 8-year follow-up data have been prospectively analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Originally 123 women with stress or mixed urinary incontinence participated in an 8-week intensive PFM training program. The training comprised repeated muscle contractions of the pelvic floor and the timely locking of the perineum. An average of 8 years (6-10) had elapsed between the time of present assessment and the completion of the original training. Seventy-nine women were subjected to the present analysis. Self-reported responses of "completely cured" and "more than 50% improved" were regarded as treatment success (TS). An 8-year transition tree and predictive parameters were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The success rate of the training was 39% at the 8-year follow-up. The transition tree demonstrated that the continence/incontinence status has been varying in 42% of the women, while it was stable in 58% throughout the follow-up period. The 6-year incidence and remission rates of incontinence were 34% and 18%, respectively. The higher pressure difference in the vaginal contraction strength between the baseline and strength at the end of the training is a predictive parameter of the long-term TS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that the 8-year TS rate was 39% and that the altered patterns of the continence status and incidence and remission rates of incontinence were similar to those observed in the general population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Komaki Shimin Hospital, Komaki, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.affiliation: Department of Adult & Elderly Nursing, Ishikawa Prefectural Nursing University, Kanazawa, Japan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Emoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Nagoya First Red-Cross Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Okayama Rosai Hospital, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ozawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Komaki Shimin Hospital, Komaki, Japan.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kamihira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D017773:Pelvic Floor; D010502:Perineum / Q000502:physiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000628:therapy*