PURPOSETo compare the effectiveness of pelvic floor exercises, electrical stimulation, vaginal cones, and no active treatment in women with urodynamic stress urinary incontinence.PATIENTS AND METHODSOne hundred eighteen subjects were randomly selected to recieve pelvic floor exercises (n=31), ES (n=30), vaginal cones (n=27), or no treatment (untreated control) (n=30). Women were evaluated before and after completion of six months of treatment by the pad test, quality of life questionnaire (I-QOL), urodynamic test, voiding diary, and subjective response.RESULTSIn the objective evaluation, we observed a statistically significant reduction in the pad test (p=0.003), in the number of stress urinary episodes (p<0.001), and a significant improvement in the quality of life (p<0.001) in subjects who used pelvic floor exercises, electrical stimulation, and vaginal cones compared to the control group. No significant difference was found between groups in the urodynamic parameters. In the subjective evaluation, 58%, 55%, and 54% of women who had used pelvic floor exercises, electrical stimulation, and vaginal cones, respectively, reported being satisfied after treatment. In the control group, only 21% patients were satisfied with the treatment.CONCLUSIONBased on this study, pelvic floor exercises, electrical stimulation, and vaginal cones are equally effective treatments and are far superior to no treatment in women with urodynamic stress urinary incontinence.

Introduction Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is one of the most frequent symptoms in women of reproductive age. This is an enigmatic clinical condition that results from the complex interactions of physiological and psychological factors with direct impact on the social, marital, and professional lives of women. Aim To evaluate the quality of life and sexual satisfaction of women who suffer from CPP with or without endometriosis. Method Forty-nine patients who had been diagnosed with endometriosis and 35 patients with CPP diagnosed with another gynecological condition, all 84 of whom were treated at the Chronic Pelvic Pain and Endometriosis Clinic at Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) from January to July of 2008. The controls were 50 healthy women from the Family Planning Clinic at UNIFESP. Main Outcome Measures World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment-Bref (WHOQOL-BREF) quality of life questionnaire and the Golombok-Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS). Results No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups with CPP symptoms, in either the results from the WHOQOL-BREF or in the GRISS questionnaire. In both questionnaires, differences were observed when the two groups of symptomatic women were compared with the group of healthy women. Conclusion CPP caused by endometriosis or other gynecological conditions leads to a significant reduction of quality of life and sexual satisfaction.

Adding hypopressive exercises to PFMT does not improve PFM function. Both treatment groups performed better than the control group.

PFMT is effective in the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse.

The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of oxybutynin, functional electrostimulation (FES), and pelvic floor training (PFT) for treatment of women with detrusor overactivity. Sixty-four subjects were randomized to oxybutynin (n=22), FES (n=21), or PFT (n=21). Women were evaluated before and after completion of 12 weeks of treatment by subjective response, voiding diary, and urodynamic test. There was subjective symptomatic improvement in 77% of the women treated with oxybutynin, 52% with FES, and 76% with PFT. Urgency resolved in 64% of women treated with oxybutynin, 52% with FES, and in 57% with PFT. Urodynamic evaluation was normal in 36% treated with oxybutynin, 57% with FES, and 52% with PFT. Maximum detrusor involuntary contraction pressure decreased in all groups (p<0.05). All treatments were equally effective. Subjective reduction of urge-incontinence episodes was associated with symptomatic improvement.