[Transcutaneous electrical stimulation for the control of frequency and urge incontinence]

To control frequency, urgency and urge incontinence, transcutaneous electrical stimulation was applied to the tibial nerve, the pudendal nerve or the anal sphincter in 79 patients. All patients were refractory to any medications for the control of frequency, nocturia, urgency and urge incontinence from a variety of causes including disk protrusion, Parkinson's disease and idiopathic conditions. The parameters of stimulation were 0.1 to 0.5 msec. duration for each stimulus, frequency 10 to 40 Hz, amplitude 5 to 500 voltage. Cystometrography was repeated during and after electrical stimulation and showed increased bladder capacity, measured at first and/or at maximum desire to void, increased compliance, decreased bladder pressure and/or disappearance of uninhibited contractions in 79% of the patients examined. At least one of these changes was observed in 64, 72 and 85% of the patients who underwent stimulation of the tibial nerve, the pudendal nerve and the anal sphincter, respectively. In some patients inhibition of bladder contraction persisted for more than 2 or 3 days after stimulation. Electromyographic activity of the pelvic floor muscles increased in all of the patients during the stimulation of the pudendal nerve or the anal sphincter, but did not increase and rather decreased during stimulation of the tibial nerve. Urethral pressure measured during electrical stimulation, did not change in many cases. Clinical success was also obtained in 19 of 22 patients who underwent two electrical stimulation program; one was continuous daily use of a portable stimulator, and the other was periodic anal stimulation once or twice a week.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)