title: Comparison of home-based and outpatient clinic-based intravaginal electrical stimulation for the treatment of urinary incontinence.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Aim of the study was to compare the effects of outpatient clinic-based versus home-based intravaginal electrical stimulation (ES) for the treatment of urinary incontinence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women applying with the complaint of urinary incontinence and offered ES treatment were divided into outpatient clinic-based or home-based ES. Patients were instructed about home-based ES at the outpatient clinic by certified physiotherapy nurses. Bladder diary, 1-hour pad test, and King's-Health-Questionnaire (KHQ) were performed before and after treatment. ES was applied for 20 minutes, 6-8 weeks with pulses of 10-50 Hz square waves at a 300 μs or 1 ms pulse duration and a maximal output current of 24 to 60 mA with 5-10 Hz frequency, three times/week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-four patients received outpatient clinic-based, 22 patients received home-based ES. Pad test, bladder diary and pelvic floor muscle strength parameters in both groups improved significantly after treatment, with no significant difference between the two groups. Seven patients (31.8%) were cured, six patients (27.3%) were much improved, and seven patients (31.8%) were improved in the home-based ES group. Nine patients (37.5%) were cured, six patients (25%) were much improved, and six patients (25%) were improved and in the outpatient clinic-based ES group. There was an improvement in quality of life in all domains in both groups when the pretreatment and post-treatment KHQ results were compared, with no significant difference between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Home-based ES is as effective in the treatment of urinary incontinence as outpatient clinic-based ES with significant improvement in objective and subjective parameters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Division of Urogynecology, Istanbul University Istanbul Medical School, Istanbul, Turkey - fgungor@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gungor Ugurlucan
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alper
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ayvacikli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nehir
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Celik
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yalcin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000379:methods*; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000628:therapy*