Electrical stimulation with non-implanted electrodes for urinary incontinence in men.

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Pelvic Health
• Rehabilitation

Background:

• Non-implanted electrical stimulation (ES) is utilized for various urinary incontinence types.
• This review specifically examines ES for male urinary incontinence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of non-implanted ES for male stress, urgency, or mixed urinary incontinence.
• To compare ES alone versus no treatment, placebo, or other single treatments.
• To evaluate combined ES with other interventions versus the intervention alone.
• To compare different ES methods.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials.
• Searched multiple databases including Cochrane, MEDLINE, and handsearching.
• Independent assessment of trials for eligibility and risk of bias.

Main Results:

• Six trials involving 544 men were included, with significant heterogeneity in interventions and outcomes.
• ES demonstrated short-term incontinence reduction compared to sham treatment (RR 0.38 at six months), but not at 12 months.
• Combining ES with pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) showed no significant difference in incontinence rates at three months but resulted in more adverse effects and lower quality of life compared to PFMT alone.

Conclusions:

• ES may offer short-term benefits when combined with PFMT, but this effect diminishes after six months.
• Combined ES and PFMT led to increased adverse events such as pain or discomfort.
• Evidence suggests PFMT alone may be preferable for quality of life in men with urinary incontinence.