Clinical Evaluation and Investigations in Women with Stress Urinary Incontinence: An Overview

ABSTRACT Urinary incontinence (UI) is defined as the complaint of any involuntary loss of urine. UI can be slightly bothersome or totally debilitating. For some women, the risk of public embarrassment prevents them from enjoying many activities with their family and friends.Women are four times more likely to be affected by UI compared with men. Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the most common type of UI in women below age 60 and accounts for almost 50% of incontinence in all women. The minimum evaluation in women with symptoms of uncomplicated SUI includes history, urinalysis, physical examination, assessment of urethral mobility, demonstration of SUI, and measurement of postvoid residual urine volume. Additional diagnostic evaluation with multichannel urodynamic testing is helpful in women with complicated SUI, especially before surgical treatment. Clinical decision should help the health care providers to perform preoperative multichannel urodynamic testing or refer to an expert in urology who is skilled in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery.