The HIFEM™ Treatment of Stress and Mixed Urinary Incontinence in Parous Women: A Case Series Study
Purpose: Urinary incontinence (UI) significantly impacts the quality of life, necessitating a range of treatments, from behavioral changes to surgical interventions. Electromagnetic muscle stimulation (HIFEM™) therapy presents an innovative, non-invasive approach to strengthening pelvic floor muscles (PFMs). Subjects and Methods: This retrospective, non-interventional case series study explores the efficacy and safety of HIFEM™ treatment in parous women experiencing stress (SUI) and mixed urinary incontinence (MUI). Nineteen women (mean age 54 ± 16) underwent six HIFEM™ sessions, with symptom progression tracked using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF), along with comfort and satisfaction questionnaires. Results: At baseline, the mean ICIQ-UI SF score was 7.9 ± 4.2 points. By the final questionnaire administration, the average score had dropped to 4.7 ± 3.5, reflecting a 50.6% reduction from baseline (p < 0.001). According to ICIQ-UI SF Item 6, 21% of subjects achieved complete continence. Additionally, the percentage of subjects experiencing urine leakage before reaching the toilet declined by 40% after the sixth treatment. Post treatment, the number of subjects who leaked urine while coughing or sneezing decreased by 50%. Conclusions: The treatment has shown high efficacy in lowering the ICIQ-SF scores across the study group, with a significant number of subjects regaining entire continence.
Authors
- Dragana Žarković
- Lubomír Mikulášek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7263-9933)
Institutions
- Institute of Endocrinology (CZ)
- University Hospital Hradec Králové (CZ)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Uro
- Published
- 2025-05-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/uro5020009
- Primary Topic
- Pelvic floor disorders treatments
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00