An ultra-short perineal pad-test for evaluation of female stress urinary incontinence treatment

We assessed the reproducibility and feasibility of a rapid perineal pad-test designed for evaluation of stress urinary incontinence treatment. In an experimental study, we included 34 women with genuine stress incontinence, 13 with urge incontinence and 10 non-incontinent volunteers for a repeated pad-test with a standardized bladder volume (300 mL) and a standardized physical activity during one minute. The pad was weighed before and after the exercise to estimate the volume of any leaked urine. In order to find out the percentage of unselected, incontinent women who had been able to perform a preoperative pad-test. we identified all 120 women operated on for stress: incontinence during a one-year period in a separate retrospective analysis. In another retrospective analysis, we compared the subjective outcome of laparoscopic colposuspension with the outcome of the test performed before and after the procedure among 93 women with genuine stress incontinence. Among stress incontinent women, the median of the differences in leakage between the first and the second test was 8.5 mL (range 0-60 mL) and the repeatability coefficient was 33.6 mL. None of the 13 women with urge incontinence leaked during the tests. One of the 10 controls leaked (during both tests). Of the unselected women, 104/120 (87%) were able to perform the test. Reduction of leaking after surgery was significantly associated with subjective report of outcome (P < 0.0001). In conclusion, the described pad-test has an acceptable reproducibility and feasibility making it suitable for follow-up studies. Neurourol. Urodynam. 20:277-285, 2001. (C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.