Stressful silence

The treatment of stress incontinence in women was discussed at the recent European Association of Urology congress. Topics included women’s views on treatment, the importance of encouraging sufferers to come forward for advice, and new advances in treatment.

The conference heard that the majority of women with stress incontinence (up to 80% by some estimates) never seek help for their problem. Older women are particularly reluctant to ask for help.

Deborah Lightner, an incontinence specialist for the United States, suggests several reasons for this including embarrassment, that they may not want surgery, or that they view their symptoms as ‘not severe enough’.

What do women want from treatment? A UK study carried out last year asked 100 women for their views. The women said that they would prefer a minor procedure that had no risk of long-term complications to a major operation that was more effective but carried risks. Doctors are still gaining experience with newer treatments, but it is clear that major surgery for stress incontinence is already becoming much less common.