Porcine small intestinal submucosa implant in pubovaginal sling procedure on 48 consecutive patients: long-term results.

OBJECTIVE: The long-term efficacy of pubovaginal sling (PVS) procedure with porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS) implant was retrospectively assessed. STUDY DESIGN: Forty-eight patients with SUI underwent a pubovaginal sling with SIS. Patient evaluation included history, physical examination with stress test and prolapse assessment by Baden-Walker classification, routine laboratory tests, 24h-pad test, and multichannel urodynamic measurement. Postoperatively the patients were classified as cured, improved and unchanged or failed. A King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ) was performed to verify post-operatively the quality of life of these patients. RESULTS: At median follow-up of 76 months 33/48 (69%) were cured, 6/48 (12%) were improved while 9/48 (19%) were failed or unchanged. No urinary retention or dyspareunia was reported and no vaginal erosion or adverse tissue reaction was detected. The descriptive statistics of KHQ scores by dimensions was done in 32/48 patients (67%). Failed or unchanged patients showed worse scores than cured and improved patients in all KHQ dimensions showing an overall overlapping between objective and subjective results although these findings are weakened due to the lack of a preoperative evaluation of QoL. CONCLUSIONS: PVS procedure using SIS cannot offer a durable option for the treatment of SUI as reported by the current mininvasive techniques.

Different evolution of voiding function in underactive bladders with and without detrusor overactivity.

PURPOSE: We assessed bladder voiding function in patients with idiopathic detrusor underactivity with and without detrusor overactivity for a different evolution in time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed clinical and urodynamic findings in 36 consecutive middle-aged men with idiopathic detrusor underactivity who were referred during 1989 to 2003 for voiding and storage lower urinary tract symptoms. After initial testing at time 1 urodynamics were repeated due to worse lower urinary tract symptoms severity at a median of 45 months (time 2). A total of 17 patients with voiding urgency showed urodynamic detrusor overactivity at times 1 and 2 (group 1) and 19 with no urgency (group 2) never had detrusor overactivity. As controls (group 3) we used 30 age matched, urodynamically normal men. Nonparametric statistics were used for data analysis. RESULTS: Compared with controls at time 1 groups 1 and 2 had lower bladder emptying efficiency and bladder contractility (contraction strength, velocity and energy reserve) with relatively higher contraction velocity and energy reserve in group 1 than in group 2. Compared with time 1 at time 2 the 2 detrusor underactivity groups showed an increased International Prostate Symptom Score (more increased in group 1), and decreased bladder contractility and emptying efficiency (less decreased in group 1). CONCLUSIONS: A likely explanation for our findings is that by causing relatively more rapid (less slow) detrusor contractions detrusor overactivity partly decreased the time needed and, thus, the total energy expended by underactive bladders for mounting micturition contractions. This compensatory efficiency would account for the relatively better evolution of bladder voiding function with time.

Urinary levels of glycosaminoglycans in patients with idiopathic detrusor overactivity.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: We assessed whether urinary excretion of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) may be affected by a condition of detrusor overactivity (DO). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated 24-h urinary excretion of GAGs in 25 patients (mean age 63.81 years) with DO and in 14 healthy controls (mean age 65.75 years). No patients or controls had urinary tract infection. The excretion of GAGs was measured on the basis of total urine volume and normalized to creatinine concentration. Student's test was employed to check between the urinary excretion of GAGs in the two groups. RESULTS: The urinary content of GAGs discovered in control group was significantly higher than that in pathological group for the ratio GAGs/creatinine concentration. CONCLUSIONS: The low content of GAGs might be due to relative ischemia of the bladder wall epithelial layer following a chronically increased contractile activity of the detrusor even if further studies are needed to confirm this finding.

Proposal for a urodynamic redefinition of detrusor underactivity.

PURPOSE: We sought a sufficiently comprehensive urodynamic definition of idiopathic detrusor underactivity in men with nonneurological conditions and no obstruction who had mainly voiding lower urinary tract symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 75 such patients and 40 age matched controls we retrospectively analyzed intrinsic detrusor contraction strength and contraction speed by estimating isovolumetric detrusor pressure and maximum possible detrusor contraction velocity. Bladder emptying efficiency was also determined. Nonparametric statistics were done as data analysis. RESULTS: Detrusor underactivity, defined as lower levels of maximum possible detrusor contraction velocity and/or isovolumetric detrusor pressure than the 25th percentiles of such parameters in controls, was found in all 75 patients. Patients could be divided into group 1-22 with low maximum possible detrusor contraction velocity, low isovolumetric detrusor pressure and bladder emptying efficiency less than 67%, group 2-25 with low maximum possible detrusor contraction velocity, low isovolumetric detrusor pressure and bladder emptying efficiency 67% or greater, and group 3-28 with low maximum possible detrusor contraction velocity, normal isovolumetric detrusor pressure and bladder emptying efficiency 67% or greater. For insignificantly different urethral resistance levels there were significant decreases in maximum possible detrusor contraction velocity in group 3 vs those in controls, and in maximum possible detrusor contraction velocity and isovolumetric detrusor pressure in groups 2 and 1 vs those in group 3. CONCLUSIONS: In our patients with detrusor underactivity intrinsic detrusor speed was more compromised than intrinsic strength. The definition of idiopathic detrusor underactivity of a slower and/or weaker bladder with or without poorly sustained micturition contractions proved more effective than a definition of decreased detrusor contraction strength and/or poorly sustained micturition contractions. The decreasing trend in detrusor contractility from group 3 to groups 2 and 1 suggests that our classification of idiopathic detrusor underactivity may reflect the evolution of this condition from an initial stage to obviously impaired voiding function.

Development of idiopathic detrusor underactivity in women: from isolated decrease in contraction velocity to obvious impairment of voiding function.

OBJECTIVES: To sequentially assess the evolution of urodynamic parameters in women who could be studied before and after the development of idiopathic detrusor underactivity (DUA). METHODS: We assessed retrospectively 32 consecutive postmenopausal women seen during the period 1989 to 2006. They had invasive urodynamics (cystometry and pressure/flow study) performed when first referred (time 1) and then after several months (time 2). Group A, 17 women with a history of recurrent acute uncomplicated cystitis, had time 2 assessment performed a median of 24 months after time 1, following the discovery of large postvoid residual urine volumes at follow-up. As controls we took 15 age-matched women (group B), referred to exclude anxiety as the main cause for lower urinary tract symptoms, who proved normal urodynamically at time 1, were then lost at follow-up, and proved still normal urodynamically when reassessed a median of 27 months later (time 2). RESULTS: At time 1, group A showed normal urodynamic findings, except for a reduced detrusor contraction velocity. During the period between times 1 and 2, antimicrobial prophylaxis caused a 17% decrease in acute cystitis recurrences. At time 2, group A showed an obvious DUA, with reduced bladder emptying efficiency, lowered detrusor contraction strength, and a further decrease in detrusor contraction velocity. CONCLUSIONS: An isolated decrease in detrusor contraction velocity showed as the early phase of the process leading to obvious DUA in the patients studied. This appeared to be a pathological process rather than a natural evolution due to aging.

Urodynamic findings suggesting two-stage development of idiopathic detrusor underactivity in adult men.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the evolution of bladder voiding dynamics from the onset of symptoms to the final diagnosis of idiopathic detrusor underactivity (DUA) in men with storage and voiding lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and otherwise normal clinical findings. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the urodynamic findings in two patient groups of 25 men each. Group A, with storage and voiding LUTS and otherwise normal clinical findings, had an inconclusive urodynamic test at time 1 and were re-assessed after a mean (+/- SD) of 17 +/- 5 months for worsened symptom severity (time 2). The control group B was formed by age-matched men with unexplained recurrent urinary tract infections who, when seen by us, showed normal clinical and urodynamic findings. Nonparametric statistics were checked for significant differences between groups A and B and between times 1 and 2 in group A. RESULTS: At time 1, group A had moderately high symptom scores, but the urodynamic findings (normal detrusor contraction strength with a lower detrusor contraction velocity than in group B) seemed to be inconclusive; thus no clear-cut diagnosis was made. At time 2, compared with time 1, group A had higher symptom scores, and the urodynamic findings (lower detrusor contraction strength and shortening velocity, unchanged urethral resistance, lesser voiding efficiency) suggested a diagnosis of idiopathic DUA. CONCLUSIONS: Idiopathic DUA would likely imply a two-stage development (ie, would be preceded by a phase of low detrusor contraction velocity occurring even several months before a decrease in detrusor contraction strength).

Relationships between micturition urgency and involuntary voiding dynamics in men with urinary incontinence from idiopathic detrusor overactivity.

PURPOSE: In men with urinary incontinence from idiopathic detrusor overactivity we determined whether bladder voiding dynamics differs between those with and without urgent micturition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively assessed urodynamic findings in 3 groups of 22 men each. Groups 1 and 2 had idiopathic detrusor overactivity with detrusor overactivity incontinence and with micturition urgency in group 1. Group 2 showed no urgency but felt a strong voiding desire just after the onset of involuntary micturition. Control group 3 included nonneurological unobstructed men undergoing urodynamic examination for mixed reasons who proved to be urodynamically normal. Patients with detrusor overactivity and controls were assessed by nonparametric statistics for significant differences in bladder voiding dynamics. RESULTS: Detrusor contraction strength proved to be increased in groups 1 and 2 with the highest levels in group 1. Detrusor contraction velocity had the highest levels in group 1 and it differed insignificantly in groups 2 and 3. Voiding contractions were equally well sustained in groups 1 and 3, and proved to be less well sustained in group 2. CONCLUSIONS: Detrusor overactivity involves enhanced detrusor contraction strength levels, particularly in patients who feel urgency. In urgency-free patients with detrusor overactivity detrusor contraction velocity differs insignificantly from that in controls and voiding detrusor contractions proved to be less well sustained than in controls and patients who experienced urgency. This suggests that detrusor contraction velocity may have a role in causing urgency and urgency may have a role in enhancing and sustaining involuntary voiding detrusor contractions in patients with detrusor overactivity.

Application of ultrasound contrast agents for the characterization of female urethral vascularization in healthy pre- and postmenopausal volunteers: preliminary report.

OBJECTIVES: Vascularization of the female urethra is an important factor contributing to the sealing effect responsible for the normal urethral closing system. The aim of this study was to assess whether contrast enhanced ultrasonography can be used to evaluate changes in urethral vascularization between pre- and postmenopausal women. METHODS: We studied the vascularization of female urethra in 11 healthy premenopausal females during the midfollicular phase of the menstrual cycle and 10 healthy postmenopausal volunteers using ultrasound contrast agents with a 2-5 MHz curved-array transducer by a translabial approach. Reperfusion curves were analyzed by a blinded investigator. Ultrasound contrast agents were measured with specifically designed software, and results were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U-test. RESULTS: The data suggest that the enhancement characteristics of the urethra were different in pre- and postmenopausal women and that the percent of blood volume and blood flow decreased with age. No changes were observed between pre- and postmenopausal women regarding the velocity of blood flow. CONCLUSIONS: The study of female urethra vascularization by ultrasound contrast agents is safe, feasible, and noninvasive.

Pelvic floor muscle behavior during Valsalva leak point pressure measurement in males and females affected by stress urinary incontinence.

PURPOSE: We evaluated pelvic floor muscle (PFM) behavior during Valsalva leak point pressure (VLPP) measurement in males and females affected by stress urinary incontinence and investigated whether VLPP results are influenced by PFM contraction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 25 females and 14 males underwent surface electromyographic (EMG) recording of PFM activity while performing VLPP. We investigated 2 conditions, VLPP during spontaneous strain (test A), and with simultaneous relaxation of the pelvic floor (test B). We analyzed average EMG activity (microV) at rest and during VLPP in tests A and B, the increasing EMG activity during tests A and B (the difference between average EMG activity during tests A and B and at rest), and the mean duration (seconds) of EMG activity during tests A and B. RESULTS: We detected a significant increase in EMG activity during tests A and B as compared to activity at rest (p <0.0001). Increasing EMG activity during test B was significantly reduced in females (p <0.05) but not in males. During test A patients reporting urinary incontinence showed a significantly lower EMG activity than that of continent patients (p <0.05). A significant reduction in maximum abdominal pressure was detected in test B compared to test A, but there was no difference in VLPP values between tests A and B. CONCLUSIONS: PFM activity significantly increases during VLPP measurement. Eliminating muscular contraction of the pelvic floor does not significantly alter VLPP results.