[Extracorporeal magnetic innervation: a non-invasive therapy for urinary incontinence?].
OBJECTIVE
Extracorporeal magnetic innervation (ExMI) is a non-invasive therapy for treatment of urinary incontinence (UI). The aim of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy of ExMI in a prospective case series.


METHODS
Over a period of 1.5 years 63 consecutive patients with a clinically and urodynamically confirmed diagnosis of urinary incontinence were enrolled. All patients requested an additional non-surgical therapy option and the ExMI system (Neo control™, Kitalpha, USA) was used. The therapy consisted of 12 treatment sessions two to three times a week. Primary outcome parameter was reduction of the number of pads per 24 h and secondary outcome parameters were patient satisfaction, adverse events and duration of the therapeutic effect.


RESULTS
A total of 63 patients (57 male and 6 female), mean age 68±7.1 years were recruited. After completion a significant (p=0.001) reduction of the number of pads used per 24 h was observed (from 5.4±3.7 to 2.7±2.5) which persisted after a median follow-up of 12.5 months (2.3±2.2 pads per 24 h). Also patients suffering from UI after prostatectomy revealed a significant (p=0.001) reduction in the number of pads from 4.8±2.9 to 2.6±2.6 with persistence at 2.5±2.5 at follow-up. Transient, self-limiting perineal pain in three patients was the only reported side effect.


CONCLUSIONS
The ExMI procedure is an additional non-invasive therapy option for patients with urinary incontinence. However, sham-controlled studies are required to corroborate the therapy effect.
Klinik und Poliklinik für Urologie, Universitätsmedizin der Universität Mainz, Langenbeckstraße 1, 55131 Mainz, Deutschland. jwoellner@paralab.balgrist.ch
J
J
Wöllner
A
A
Neisius
C
C
Hampel
J W
JW
Thüroff
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D055909:Magnetic Field Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000534:rehabilitation*