Symptom Relief and Practice Setting Variation in Bulkamid Injections for Stress Urinary Incontinence

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Female Pelvic Medicine

Background:

• Bulkamid™ transurethral injection is a minimally invasive option for stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and mixed urinary incontinence (MUI).
• Predictors for repeat injections, progression to sling surgery, and anesthesia's impact on Bulkamid™ efficacy require further definition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of Bulkamid™ injection for SUI/MUI.
• To identify predictors for repeat Bulkamid™ injections and progression to sling surgery.
• To assess the influence of anesthesia type on Bulkamid™ treatment outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of 284 women undergoing Bulkamid™ injection for SUI/MUI.
• Collection of baseline demographics, comorbidities, and symptom scores.
• Statistical analysis including paired Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and univariate logistic regression to identify predictors and compare outcomes by anesthesia use.

Main Results:

• Bulkamid™ significantly improved continence and quality-of-life measures, with decreased pad use and UDI-6 scores.
• 16.5% of patients required repeat injection, predicted by procedures performed without general/sedative anesthesia (OR 2.82).
• 6.0% progressed to sling surgery, with younger age as a predictor (OR 0.95 per year).

Conclusions:

• Bulkamid™ injection is a safe and effective minimally invasive treatment for SUI/MUI, offering significant symptom relief.
• Anesthesia choice impacts the likelihood of repeat injections, with non-anesthetized procedures associated with higher rates.
• Bulkamid™ is a valuable alternative to sling surgery, particularly for women seeking less invasive options.