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Updated: Aug 20, 2026
Nerve-sparing Mid-urethral Obstruction (NeMO) in Female Small Rodents
Published on: April 25, 2017
Minimally invasive surgery for female urinary incontinence: experience with periurethral microballoon implantation
Chafika Mazouni1, Frank Bladou, Gilles Karsenty
1Department of Urology, Salvator Hospital, 249 boulevard Saint Marguerite, 13009 Marseille, France. chafika1@club-internet.fr
Purpose:
To assess the effectiveness of periurethral microballoon implantation for management of female urinary incontinence.
Patients And Methods:
A total of 45 women with urinary incontinence (age range 47-88 years) were treated between May 2000 and June 2001. Microballoons were placed in the proximal periurethral tissue using endoscopic instrumentation under local anesthesia. Follow-up assessment including urodynamic study and quality- of-life assessment was performed at 1, 3, and 6 months.
Results:
Implantation was successful in all cases with no significant adverse effects. Cure was achieved in 60% and improvement in 5%. The failure rate was 35%. Microballoon implantation significantly increased the mean urethral closure pressure, from 35.2 cm H(2)O (SD 14.9; range 15-72 cm H(2)O) to 46.5 cm H(2)O (SD 19.7; range 16-87 cm H(2)O) (P = 0.001). The best predictors of successful outcome in univariate analysis were initial urethral closure pressure (P = 0.047) and degree of incontinence (P < 0.001).
Conclusions:
Periurethral microballoon implantation is a useful technique for the management of female urinary incontinence, especially in elderly and inoperable patients. The microballoons do not present the adverse effects associated with other bulking agents.
