Review article

Urinary Incontinence in Women and Guidelines for Treatment

Slavko Orešković
Mato Pavić

Abstract

Urinary incontinence significantly reduces quality of life, and it is an important public health problem with a great impact on physical and mental health. It is known that nearly 25-30% of elderly women develop stress urinary incontinence. Large epidemiological studies in the United States of America show that moderate to severe urinary incontinence is present in 7% of women aged 20-39, 17% aged 40-59, 23% aged 60-79 and 32% aged 80 years and more. Stress urinary incontinence results from inherited or acquired pelvic organ support impairment, with loss of anatomic support to vesicourethral segment. The diagnosis of pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence is based on anamnesis, gynaecologic examination, clinical testing, cystometry, cystoscopy and urodynamic testing. The treatment of urinary incontinence can be surgical or conservative. Treatment success depends on a diagnostic procedure and a properly chosen therapy method (operative or conservative). The use of contemporary diagnostic and therapy procedures yields optimal therapeutic effects and helps maintain a patient’s quality of life.

Keywords

pelvic organ prolapse; urinary incontinence; hammock hypothesis; surgical therapy; conservative therapy

Hrčak ID:

144612

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/144612

Publication date:

8.9.2015.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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