The Effects of Electrical Stimulation Therapy with Microchip for the Treatment of Bladder Irritability Symptoms in Stress Urinary Incontinent Women

방광 자극증상을 호소하는 복압성 요실금 환자에서 마이크로칩을 이용한 전기자극치료의 효과

Purpose: This study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of intravaginal pelvic floor electrical stimulation (FES) therapy on bladder irritability symptoms in stress urinary incontinent women. Materials and Methods: The evaluation before and after treatment included the Blaivas's female Bladder Questionnaire, the quality of life questionnaires and the overall satisfaction with present voiding state using visual analogue test (VAT). All patient were treated for 20 minutes, twice a week for 6 weeks, using a new intravaginal electrical stimulator with microchip (PIC16C74). Results: After the FES therapy, the overall success rate of the SUI was 50.4.% at 9 months. The bladder irritability symptoms such as frequency, nocturia, urgency, residual urine sensation and lower abdominal discomfort were improved. In particular, the symptoms of frequency, urge incontinence, dysuria were significantly improved after the FES therapy at 9 months. The VAT score of the overall satisfaction with the present voiding state was significantly lower after the FES therapy. 73.7% of patients were satisfied with the FES therapy and complications such as hemorrhage, vaginitis, urinary tract infection and pain were not encountered. Conclusion: These results suggest that FES therapy with microchip improves some bladder irritability in SUI women. Therefore, electrical stimulation therapy should be considered as a first line therapy in SUI women with bladder irritability symptoms.

복압성 요실금에 동반되는 다양한 방광 자극증상은 빈뇨, 잔뇨감, 야간뇨, 절박뇨, 절박성 요실금, 배뇨통의 순이었으며, 이 증상들의 복합 정도가 많으면 삶의 질에 영향을 주고 있음을 알 수 있었다. 그리고 마이크로칩을 이용한 전기자극기는 특별한 부작용 없이 환자의 만족도가 높은 치료기로 생각되었으며, 복압성 요실금과 동반되는 야간뇨, 배뇨통 등의 방광 자극증상을 경감시킴으로 인해 현재의 배뇨 상태가 일상생활에 미치는 영향을 감소시키는 것을 관찰할 수 있었다.