Long-term real-life adherence of percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation in over 400 patients

Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) is used as a treatment to reduce the complaints of overactive bladder (OAB). Although it is rewarding therapy patients need maintenance treatment to preserve the beneficial effect.

This real-life retrospective study was performed to assess the feasibility of PTNS adherence.

All patients who underwent PTNS were retrospectively included. We analyzed the following: indication, kind of treatments (pharmacologic and third-line therapy) before and after PTNS treatment, time and reason for quitting therapy. Statistical analysis was done by performing competitive-risk analysis and Kaplan-Meier curves. Patients were categorized into four groups. Group 1: all patients; group 2: all patients on maintenance PTNS therapy (continuing after 12 weeks); group 3: patients on maintenance PTNS therapy excluding the following: (a) patients with initial good response who seized treatment due to death, (b) patient who successfully switched to transcutaneous stimulation, (c) patients who were cured of their OAB symptoms, or (d) patients who relocated; and group 4: group 3 but excluding those who stopped treatment because of nonmedical reasons (physical strain, inconveniencies associated with visiting the hospital).

Four-hundred two patients (70% female) with a median age of 70 years underwent PTNS. Underlying treatment indications were: OAB-wet (54%) and OAB-dry (29%). The median follow-up (FU) of group 1 was 4 months. Fifty-seven percent (N = 228) of the patients received maintenance PTNS therapy. Median FU in group 4 was 46 months (range, 3-111 months). Over 40% of the maintenance patients stopped PTNS because of logistic reasons and physical strain during an FU time of 6 years.

The real-world data described here with is in line with earlier published work in terms of the success rate of OAB treatment. However, over 40% quit their therapy due to nonmedical reasons.