title: Vaginal cone therapy in patients with stress urinary incontinence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the vaginal cone usage in patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) treated by hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective controlled study, vaginal cone therapy is proposed to 22 postmenopausal patients with SUI having HRT who were admitted to Istanbul University, Faculty of Medicine Urogynecology Division. The vaginal cone therapy protocol consisted of one 40-min session per day over a 12-week period at standing position, and to push back the vaginal cone if they feel it slide for 15 times. Control group consisted of ten postmenopausal patients receiving only HRT. For the two groups, perineometry value, pad test, and 3 days average number of incontinence were assessed at the beginning and after 2 months of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the vaginal cone group, in all parameters a statistically significant difference was observed toward improvement as compared to baseline (p < 0.01); there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in the HRT group. While comparing between the mean differences of two groups, the average number of urinary leakage was decreased and perineometry value was statistically increased (t = 3.74, p < 0.001; t = 3.24, p < 0.01) in vaginal cone group rather than in the HRT group which was calculated from the urinary diary.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Vaginal cone could be an effective method of treatment in patients with SUI and may be a preferable treatment for patients who have problem to come to hospital and want to work independently at home.
authors.affiliation: Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic, Bakırköy Dr. Sadi Konuk Training and Research Hospital, Tevfik Saglam Cad. No:11, Zuhuratbaba, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Meltem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vural
authors.forename: Nalan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Capan
authors.forename: Ayse
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karan
authors.forename: Nurten
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Eskiyurt
authors.forename: Onay
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yalcin
mesh_terms: D041342:Absorbent Pads; D000328:Adult; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017698:Postmenopause; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000628:therapy*