title: Randomized, placebo controlled study of electrical stimulation with pelvic floor muscle training for severe urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated electrical stimulation combined with pelvic floor muscle training for urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy in a randomized controlled study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 56 men with severe urinary incontinence (more than 200 gm daily), mean ± SD age 66.6 ± 6.2 years, were randomized to an active treatment group (26) or a sham group (30). All patients performed pelvic floor muscle training preoperatively and continued throughout the study. For active stimulation 50 Hz square waves of 300 μs pulse duration and a 5 seconds on, 5 seconds off duty cycle were applied for 15 minutes twice daily with an anal electrode. Sham stimulation was limited to 3 mA with a 2 seconds on, 13 seconds off duty cycle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the active group 8 (36%), 14 (63%), 18 (81%) and 19 (86%) patients were continent (22) vs 1 (4%), 4 (16%), 11 (44%) and 17 (86%) in the sham group (25) (leakage less than 8 gm daily) after 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, respectively. There was a significant difference in the number of continent patients between the groups at 1, 3 and 6 months (p = 0.0161, p = 0.0021 and p = 0.0156, respectively). The time to achieve continence was significantly shorter in the active group (2.71 ± 2.6 months) than in the sham group (6.82 ± 3.9 months, p = 0.0006). Changes in the amount of leakage, the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form score and the King's Health Questionnaire score were significantly larger in the active group at 1 month but there was no difference at 12 months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Electrical stimulation resulted in earlier recovery of continence in patients with urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Dokkyo Medical University, Mibu, Tochigi, Japan. yamanish@dokkyomed.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tomonori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamanishi
authors.forename: Tomoya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizuno
authors.forename: Miho
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Mikihiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: Ken-Ichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017773:Pelvic Floor; D010919:Placebos; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos