Extracorporeal magnetic innervation therapy for stress urinary incontinence

To report the first data from a prospective clinical study to determine the feasibility of using extracorporeal magnetic innervation (ExMI) for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence.

We studied 83 women with demonstrable stress urinary incontinence. Treatments were for 20 minutes, twice a week for 6 weeks. For treatment, the patient sits fully clothed on a special chair; within the seat is a magnetic field generator that produces the rapidly changing magnetic field flux. Objective measures included bladder diaries, dynamic pad weight testing, urodynamic studies, and quality of life survey.

Fifty patients have been followed up for longer than 3 months (33 patients for less than 3 months); 17 patients (34%) were dry, 16 (32%) were using not more than 1 pad per day, and 17 (34%) were using more than 1 pad per day. Pad use was reduced from 2.5 to 1.3 (P = 0.001) and leak episodes per day were reduced from 3.3 to 1.7 (P = 0.001). The pad weight was reduced from 20 to 15 g. Detrusor instability was found in 5 patients before but was demonstrated in only 1 patient after treatment.

ExMI therapy offers a new effective modality for pelvic floor muscle stimulation. ExMI is painless, there is no need for a probe, and no need to undress for treatments. Longer follow-up is required to determine how long the benefits of treatment last and whether retreatment will be necessary.