Özet:

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of transcutaneous posterior tibial nerve stimulation (TTNS) in women with urge incontinence. METHODS: The study included 20 patients with an idiopathic overactive bladder refractory to anticholinergic treatment. TTNS was applied to all patients on three days per week for eight weeks; each session lasted 30 minutes. Pelvic floor muscle strength, urinary frequency and the number of episodes of urge urinary incontinence were recorded before and after the treatment. RESULTS: After 8 weeks of TTNS treatment, a statistically significant increase was found in pelvic floor muscle strength, assessed by digital palpation (p=0.008), whereas there was no significant improvement in perineometry values (p=0.118). Bladder diary assessment revealed that patients experienced a significant reduction in the average number of incontinence episodes and voiding frequency (p=0.003 and p=0.001, respectively). There were no adverse effects during the treatment. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study results showed that TTNS is an effective and well-tolerated treatment in women with an idiopathic overactive bladder who have not benefited from anticholinergic medications. Further studies need to be performed to determine a standardized treatment protocol and long-term efficacy.

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