Periurethral injection for the treatment of urinary incontinence

Periurethral injection of substrates that compress, support, or narrow the bladder neck for the treatment of stress incontinence is not new. Several injectable compounds have been used in a small number of patients during the 1940s and through the 1960s; however, the results were not very successful and often led to significant complications. More recently, two major materials have been developed that seem to be useful in treating stress incontinence by periurethral injection: Polytef paste and GAX collagen. Other injectables include autologous fat tissue and silicone microimplants. The most suitable patients for periurethral injection are elderly women, patients who constitute high operative risk, and those with stress incontinence due to intrinsic sphincter failure. Patients with stress incontinence due to a combination of urethral hypermobility and intrinsic sphincter deficiency with failure of suspension procedure may also benefit from the procedure. The reported long-term (more than 24 months) success rates according to the various substances are as follows: Teflon (Polytef) (E.I.du Pont de Nemours and Co, Wilmington, DE): 30 to 38 percent cured or improved; repeated injections usually do not improve the outcome; mostly minor complications with case reports of more serious side effects such as periurethral granuloma formation and bladder outlet obstruction. GAX collagen: 69 to 77 percent subjectively cured or improved after 24 months; 54 to 57 percent objectively cured or improved, the reported morbidity in these procedures is minimal; repeated injections can improve the outcome. The experience with autologous fat and silicone microimplants is insufficient, with an overall success rate of 70 percent (1-40 months follow-up; mean 12 months) and 58 to 70 percent (17-36 months), respectively. Most of the procedures are performed as outpatient cases, and some under local anesthesia. These procedures are minimally invasive, usually safe and well tolerated, require shorter hospitalization, and are cost effective. In conclusion, in carefully selected patients, periurethral injection seems to be a reasonable option in the modern treatment of female stress incontinence.