Female stress urinary incontinence: review of the current literature

Urinary incontinence is a prevalent problem that affects women of all ages. We reviewed the pathophysiology, evaluation, and treatment of stress urinary incontinence. We performed a comprehensive review of the literature using MEDLINE and resources cited in those peer-reviewed manuscripts. The results are presented. Stress urinary incontinence is defined as leakage of urine that occurs with a sudden increase in intra-abdominal pressure, such as that seen with physical activity, without concomitant rise in detrusor (bladder-generated) pressure. It is a prevalent and costly problem that affects women worldwide. Proper and thorough evaluation is imperative in order to provide patients with appropriate treatment options and accurate counseling regarding the risks, benefits, and alternatives to the available therapies. Numerous new techniques have been developed in the treatment of stress incontinence, and the approaches continue to evolve. With the increasing number of patients seeking treatment for stress incontinence, it is essential to stay current with the latest concepts in the mechanism of stress incontinence and the techniques available for its treatment. An overview of the latest literature and principles is presented.