Long-term effects of extracorporeal magnetic innervations in the treatment of women with urinary incontinence: results of 3-year follow-up.

PURPOSE: This study is designed to evaluate the long-term efficacy of extracorporeal magnetic innervation (ExMI) in the treatment of women with urinary incontinence.

METHODS: Our prospective study included a period of 3 years between May 2005 and October 2008. A total of 137 consequent women with stress and urge incontinence were included in the study. Of the patients, 68 had stress incontinence and others had urge incontinence.

RESULTS: All of the patients with stress incontinence were successfully followed up and 32 (47%) were totally dry in negative stress test at the 6 months after ExMI therapy. In the same group, 27(39%) showed improvement in the frequency of daily leak episodes from 3.2 times to 1.2 times. In the urge incontinence group, all of the patients completed the treatment and they were successfully followed up. While 40 (58%) patients were dry and 18 (26%) significantly improved the average number of incontinence episodes decreased from 3.7 times to 1.7 times per day, treatment failed in the remaining 11 (16%) patients at the 6 months. At 6 months, the recurrence rate was 53%.

CONCLUSIONS: At the 6 months after 16 sessions of ExMI had a significant QOL, parallel to decrease in daily pad use and leakage episodes. Only 16 sessions are not effective definitive therapy. The beneficial effects are temporary and there is high recurrence.