title: Are multichannel urodynamics required prior to surgery in a woman with stress urinary incontinence?
abstract: The National Institute for Clinical Excellence recommends that cystometry need not be performed before conservative therapy for incontinence in women, nor is cystometry routinely recommended in the small group of women with a clearly defined diagnosis of pure stress incontinence. Nonetheless, it is frequently utilized in the assessment of women with stress urinary incontinence in the hope that results will shed light on preoperative risk factors for failure or postoperative voiding dysfunction. The ability of urodynamic studies to characterize these parameters reliably remains under investigation. Because urodynamic studies are invasive, costly, and not always available, it is imperative that its benefit be carefully explored. This review highlights the recent arguments for and against this recommendation.
authors.affiliation: Tufts School of Medicine, Institute of Urology, Continence Center, Lahey Clinic Medical Center, 41 Mall Road, Burlington, MA 01805, USA. Arthur.Mourtzinos@lahey.org
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mourtzinos
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014563:Urodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods