Effectiveness of bilateral percutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation for women with idiopathic overactive bladder

Author(s): M. Martin-Garcia, R.D. Trochez - Pages: 53 - 58

Abstract

Percutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) is an effective treatment for overactive bladder (OAB), but it is usually performed unilaterally. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a bilateral approach in women with OAB. The research took the form of a prospective cohort study of women with idiopathic OAB who received weekly bilateral percutaneous PTNS for 12 weeks. The participants completed the Overactive Bladder Questionnaire (OAB-q) and a 3-day bladder diary before and after treatment. The primary outcomes were changes in symptom severity and quality of life (QoL), as assessed using the OAB-q. The secondary outcomes included changes in bladder diary variables. Changes in the values of the outcome measures were assessed before and after treatment using a paired t-test for normally distributed data and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for
non-normally distributed findings. Forty-two consecutive women were included in the study. The mean severity of symptoms reduced from 66.79 ± 17.71 at baseline to 39.88 ± 23.51 at a 12-week follow-up (P < 0.001). The mean improvement from baseline in the QoL scores was 24.63 ± 23.92 (P < 0.001). There was a statistically and clinically significant improvement in all the bladder diary parameters that were investigated. The results seem to compare favourably with existing data from unilateral PTNS studies. No serious adverse events occurred. The study found that bilateral percutaneous PTNS is an effective short-term treatment for women with OAB. A methodologically robust comparative study is warranted in order to determine
whether bilateral PTNS achieves better clinical outcomes than the unilateral approach.
Keywords: detrusor overactivity, peripheral neuromodulation, urge incontinence, urinary urgency.