Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation for the overactive bladder: A single-arm trial

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Neurology
• Women's Health

Background:

• Overactive bladder (OAB) affects 11.8% of women globally, significantly reducing quality of life.
• Current treatments like lifestyle changes and medications have limited efficacy and side effects.
• Third-line therapies such as botulinum toxin or sacral neuromodulation are invasive and have limited accessibility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) as a non-invasive treatment for overactive bladder (OAB).

Main Methods:

• A single-arm trial involving women seeking third-line OAB treatment.
• Primary outcome: Patient-reported Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) improvement of at least 50%.
• Secondary outcomes: Urinary Distress Inventory Short Form (UDI-6) scores, bladder diary, and adverse effects.

Main Results:

• The initial treatment protocol achieved a 77.2% success rate based on VAS among completers.
• A statistically significant improvement in mean UDI-6 score (20.13, P < 0.01) was observed.
• Continued success rates of 60.8% were noted with tapering, and no adverse effects were reported during a 14.2-month maintenance period.

Conclusions:

• PTNS demonstrates effectiveness and safety for OAB treatment, aligning with existing literature.
• Randomized controlled trials are needed to establish an optimal and standardized PTNS treatment protocol.