Improvement of quality of life, anxiety and depression after surgery in patients with stress urinary incontinence: results of a longitudinal short-term follow-up.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to compare the effect of incontinence surgery and pelvic floor training on quality of life (QOL), anxiety and depression in patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI).


METHODS
In a prospective longitudinal study, females with proven SUI were asked to complete a set of standardized questionnaires (sociodemographic data sheet, FACT-G, I-QOL, HADS) before and eight weeks after treatment. The comparison groups consisted of a surgical treatment group and a conservative group that underwent supervised pelvic floor training for eight weeks.


RESULTS
From the 67 female patients included in the study a number of 53 patients completed both assessment time points (mean age 57.4, mean years of SUI 7.6). The surgical treatment group consisted of 32 patients of which 21 patients received a modified Burch colposuspension and 11 patients a tension-free mid-urethral tape suspension. The 21 patients in the conservative group attended eight once-weekly supervised pelvic floor training sessions. After treatment the surgical intervention group showed a significantly higher improvement of QOL (FACT-G and I-QOL) and anxiety (HADS) than the pelvic floor training group.


CONCLUSIONS
For female patients with SUI surgery yielded a better outcome than pelvic floor training with regard to quality of life and anxiety.
Innerkofler
Petra C
PC
Department of Biological Psychiatry, Innsbruck Medical University, Anichstr 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria. petra.innerkofler@uki.at
Guenther
Verena
V
Rehder
Peter
P
Kopp
Martin
M
Nguyen-Van-Tam
Dominic P
DP
Giesinger
Johannes M
JM
Holzner
Bernhard
B
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001317:Austria; D003863:Depression / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*