title: Sexual response in patients treated with sacral neuromodulation for lower urinary tract symptoms or fecal incontinence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether sacral neuromodulation (SNM) for urinary symptoms or fecal incontinence gives improvement of female sexual function and whether improvement is due to physiological or psychological factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2002 and 2008, 8 patients had an array of questionnaires before and after SNM implantation. The questionnaires were: the Questionnaire for Screening for Sexual Dysfunctions, the Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction, the Symptom Checklist-90, the Maudsley Marital Questionnaire and the McGill-Mah Orgasm Questionnaire. Three of these 8 patients underwent vaginal plethysmography before and after implantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistically significant changes were found, although there seems to be a trend toward improvement in orgasm scores. In plethysmography all 3 patients showed increased vaginal pulse amplitude with the stimulator turned on with both erotic and non-erotic stimuli.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study does not show a clear effect of SNM on sexual function, although there seems to be an improvement in orgasm scores. The lack of response on psychological questionnaires and the increase in vaginal pulse amplitude after SNM implantation indicate that there might be a physiological response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University Hospital of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands. anco.vanvoskuilen@gmail.com
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: van Voskuilen
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Oerlemans
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gielen
authors.forename: S M P
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lansen-Koch
authors.forename: E H J
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Weil
authors.forename: J J D M
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: van Lankveld
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: van den Hombergh
authors.forename: C G M I
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Baeten
authors.forename: P E V
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: van Kerrenbroeck
mesh_terms: D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D058542:Implantable Neurostimulators; D059411:Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D009426:Netherlands; D009948:Orgasm; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010991:Plethysmography; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012447:Sacrum; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012735:Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D020018:Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014621:Vagina / Q000294:innervation*