Female urinary incontinence: diagnosis, treatment and patients' concerns

We developed a simple and accurate method of diagnosing urinary incontinence by means of a 15-item questionnaire that helps physicians evaluate a patient's incontinence status more easily than conventional diagnostic procedures. The results of using the questionnaire showed a total improvement rate of more than 80% among urinary incontinence patients treated in our clinic. Surgical treatment for stress urinary incontinence has improved in terms of both effectiveness and patient quality of life after introduction of a tension-free vaginal tape procedure. Our research on the prevalence of urinary incontinence among a large number of Japanese women showed that, overall, 26.8% complained of some symptoms of incontinence and, the percentage increased with age, reaching more than 40% among women over 40 years of age. However, very few of the women (4%) wished to consult a physician, with shame in the young population and resignation in the old population being the major reasons for not seeking treatment. Women need to be provided with correct information about urinary incontinence in order to improve their quality of life.