Intravesical electrical stimulation (IVES) could be a potential treatment for women with overactive bladder

This study observed the outcome of electrical stimulation for overactive bladder in women. Researchers found that this treatment was effective in most women after four weeks.

Overactive bladder is a common condition that can lower quality of life by increasing urination frequency (urinating more often), urination urgency (unable to hold on to urine), and urinating during the night. Intravesical electrical stimulation (IVES) is a treatment that uses electrical stimulation in a catheter to improve bladder emptying. IVES has been used in previous studies to treat other urinary conditions. However, these as been a lack of research showing whether or not IVES can be used to effectively treat overactive bladder.

This study examined 17 women who previously had unsuccessful treatment of overactive bladder with at least more than one medication. Patients were treated with an IVES catheter over a four week period. The treatment lasted for twenty minutes, twice a week over the four week period. Outcomes were assessed through both patient attitude and perspective surveys, as well as frequency and urgency of urination measures.

After the four week period,15 out of the 17 women reported improved results, with 11 women reporting symptoms were “a little better.” Daily urination decreased from 10 times a day, at the start of the treatment to 9 times a day after treatment. Apart from one case of urinary tract infeciton, there were no side effects found during the study.

This study concluded that IVES could be a potential treatment for overactive bladder, and can be less invasive than other non-medical treatments.

This study followed a small number of patients and did not have a significantly positive outcome. Much more research is needed to validate IVES as a treatment and compare its effectiveness to other treatments.

Consult your physician about the different types of treatment available for overactive bladder.