Detailed Investigation of Bladder Diary Parameters During Sacral Neuromodulation in Patients With Overactive Symptoms.

AIMS: Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) is a well-accepted, minimally invasive modality for patients with overactive bladder (OAB). Successful response to SNM is defined as at least 50% improvement in key symptoms, evaluated in a bladder diary (BD). BDs provide much useful information on bladder behavior during daily life. The aim of this study is to investigate BD parameter changes during SNM therapy in patients with OAB. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaires (ICIQ)-BD was filled out by 34 patients with OAB, for three days at baseline and after three weeks of subthreshold sensory stimulation. The patients were considered responders for SNM when 50% improvement was seen in the BD. They underwent implantation of an internal pulse generator (IPG), and subsequently, an ICIQ-BD and a visual analog scale (VAS) evaluating bladder satisfaction during three days were filled out six weeks, six months, and one year after IPG implantation. RESULTS: IPGs were implanted in 29 patients (85%). The BD showed a significant decrease in 24-hour leakage at three weeks from 4.2 to 0.6 (-86%, p < 0.001), similar significant decreases at six weeks and six months, and at one year (-80%). Voided volume (VV) at corresponding bladder sensation codes was not different between baseline and at three weeks of tined-lead procedure (TLP) (p > 0.05), and at six weeks (p > 0.05), six months (p > 0.1), and one year of IPG (p > 0.08). After three weeks of TLP, urgency episodes decreased from 4.8 to 3.4 (-30%, p = 0.025), with 59% reduction at six-weeks IPG (p < 0.001) and 49% at six-months IPG (p = 0.013). At one year, a decrease from 4.7 to 2.3 (52% reduction, p = 0.017) was noted. VAS showed the strongest correlation with urgency (p < 0.001) and frequency (p = 0.006). No significant correlation was found with VV (p = 0.87). CONCLUSIONS: Our study describes how bladder sensation parameters change over time in patients on SNM. VV does not significantly increase, nor does frequency significantly decrease over the first year. Leaks and the percentage of urgency episodes significantly decrease, reaching a plateau level between six-weeks and six-months SNM.

Refractory monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis: a combined stepwise approach in childhood and follow-up into adolescence, with attention to the clinical value of normalizing bladder capacity.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the importance of normalizing bladder capacity to the age-expected capacity in children with refractory monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (MNE), and to evaluate the long-term results when these children grow into adolescence. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 34 children with refractory MNE; all were treated > 5 years earlier for their MNE using a combined stepwise approach, consisting of retention control training, oxybutynin and an enuresis alarm. Data were obtained on their enuretic state, night-time voiding behaviour and bladder capacity, from a questionnaire and a voiding chart. RESULTS: Before starting treatment, all patients had a bladder capacity that was too small for their age. After the combined stepwise approach, MNE improved in all patients and 24 (71%) were cured. Although the bladder capacity was increased to the age-expected capacity in 26 (76%), most woke at night to void. Currently, at a mean of 7.7 years after the primary treatment, 28 (82%) of the patients are completely dry at night, of whom 15 (54%) arouse to void for 35% of the nights. Six patients (18%) still have some enuretic episodes. Only those who were dry after primary treatment and remained dry had a normal age-expected increase in bladder capacity. For all others there was a decrease in age-related bladder capacity. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with refractory MNE, a combined stepwise approach improves and may even eliminate enuresis, but normal night-time bladder behaviour in adolescence and adulthood is only achieved in some. Furthermore, about a fifth still have some enuretic episodes.

Functional bladder capacity after bladder biofeedback predicts long-term outcome in children with nocturnal enuresis.

OBJECTIVE: We previously reported a 70% cure rate for bladder biofeedback in children with primary nocturnal enuresis associated with small bladder capacity and detrusor instability. In this paper we report on bladder capacity and incidence of enuresis after 60 months of follow-up and discuss the role of decreased bladder capacity in nocturnal enuresis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We prospectively evaluated 21 boys and 3 girls (mean age 10.4 years) treated with bladder biofeedback between October 1993 and July 1995. Baseline bladder capacity and capacity at the end of treatment and at 60 months follow-up were determined from a micturition chart. RESULTS: At the end of primary treatment 17/24 patients had stopped bedwetting. In 4/17 responders and 4/7 non-responders the bladder capacity was <90% of normal for age. At 60 months, 4 patients had been lost to follow-up, 15 were dry at night and 4 continued bedwetting. One patient underwent surgery and was excluded from the study. Only 2/15 dry patients but 3/4 patients with persistent nocturnal enuresis had a bladder capacity of <90% of normal. CONCLUSIONS: Bladder biofeedback can be successfully used to treat children with refractory nocturnal enuresis associated with small bladder capacity and unstable detrusor. Normalization of bladder capacity and continuous growth of the bladder in order to keep the capacity normal would seem to be crucial to the long-term resolution of bedwetting in this select patient population.