Effect of sacral neuromodulation on female sexual function and quality of life: Are they correlated?

Short-Term Dorsal Genital Nerve Stimulation Increases Subjective Arousal in Women With and Without Spinal Cord Injury: A Preliminary Investigation

OBJECTIVES

Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) affects an estimated 40% of women. Unfortunately, FSD is understudied, leading to limited treatment options for FSD. Neuromodulation has shown some success in alleviating FSD symptoms. We developed a pilot study to investigate the short-term effect of electrical stimulation of the dorsal genital nerve and tibial nerve on sexual arousal in healthy women, women with FSD, and women with spinal cord injury (SCI) and FSD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study comprises a randomized crossover design in three groups: women with SCI, women with non-neurogenic FSD, and women without FSD or SCI. The primary outcome measure was change in vaginal pulse amplitude (VPA) from baseline. Secondary outcome measures were changes in subjective arousal, heart rate, and mean arterial pressure from baseline. Participants attended one or two study sessions where they received either transcutaneous dorsal genital nerve stimulation (DGNS) or tibial nerve stimulation (TNS). At each session, a vaginal photoplethysmography sensor was used to measure VPA. Participants also rated their level of subjective arousal and were asked to report any pelvic sensations.

RESULTS

We found that subjective arousal increased significantly from before to after stimulation in DGNS study sessions across all women. TNS had no effect on subjective arousal. There were significant differences in VPA between baseline and stimulation, baseline and recovery, and stimulation and recovery periods among participants, but there were no trends across groups or stimulation type. Two participants with complete SCIs experienced genital sensations.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this is the first study to measure sexual arousal in response to short-term neuromodulation in women. This study indicates that short-term DGNS but not TNS can increase subjective arousal, but the effect of stimulation on genital arousal is inconclusive. This study provides further support for DGNS as a treatment for FSD.

Acute dorsal genital nerve stimulation increases subjective arousal in women with and without spinal cord injury: a preliminary investigation

Introduction

Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) impacts an estimated 40% of women. Unfortunately, female sexual function is understudied, leading to limited treatment options for FSD. Neuromodulation has demonstrated some success in improving FSD symptoms. We developed a pilot study to investigate the short-term effect of electrical stimulation of the dorsal genital nerve and tibial nerve on sexual arousal in healthy women, women with FSD, and women with spinal cord injury (SCI) and FSD.

Methods

This study consists of a randomized crossover design in three groups: women with SCI, women with non-neurogenic FSD, and women without FSD or SCI. The primary outcome measure was change in vaginal pulse amplitude (VPA) from baseline. Secondary outcome measures were changes in subjective arousal, heart rate, and mean arterial pressure from baseline. Participants attended one or two study sessions where they received either transcutaneous dorsal genital nerve stimulation (DGNS) or tibial nerve stimulation (TNS). At each session, a vaginal photoplethysmography sensor was used to measure VPA. Participants also rated their level of subjective arousal and were asked to report any pelvic sensations.

Results

We found that subjective arousal increased significantly from before to after stimulation in DGNS study sessions across all women. TNS had no effect on subjective arousal. There were significant differences in VPA between baseline and stimulation, baseline and recovery, and stimulation and recovery periods among participants, but there were no trends across groups or stimulation type. Two participants with complete SCIs experienced genital sensations.

Discussion

This is the first study to measure sexual arousal in response to acute neuromodulation in women. This study demonstrates that acute DGNS, but not TNS, can increase subjective arousal, but the effect of stimulation on genital arousal is inconclusive. This study provides further support for DGNS as a treatment for female sexual dysfunction.

Efficacy of Neuromodulation Interventions for the Treatment of Sexual Dysfunction: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES

The primary aim of this review was to analyze the literature for the efficacy of neuromodulation interventions in treating both male and female sexual dysfunction.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Studies were identified from PubMed, Scopus, PsychINFO, CINAHL, and Cochrane. Results were synthesized qualitatively without pooling owing to the heterogeneous nature of outcome assessments.

RESULTS

Overall findings from studies generally supported that neuromodulation interventions were associated with improvement in sexual function. Specific domains that improved in male patients included erectile function, desire, and satisfaction, whereas desire, arousal, orgasm, lubrication, quality of "sex life," intercourse capability, and dyspareunia improved in female patients. Male ejaculation, orgasm, and intercourse capability were the only domains that continued to decline after the use of neuromodulation interventions, although this was only reported in one study.

CONCLUSION

Our review suggests that there may be promise and potential utility of neuromodulation in improving sexual dysfunction; however, further research is needed.

[Functional-neurosurgical treatment options for functional pelvic floor disorders : Value of sacral neuromodulation]

BACKGROUND

Sacral neuromodulation is an established minimally invasive therapy indicated for the treatment of functional pelvic floor disorders. While it received its original US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the treatment of overactive bladder symptoms, it is now regarded as a therapeutic option to treat both urinary/fecal incontinence and retention. In addition, it has proven to be a valuable tool in the treatment of chronic pelvic pain, and preliminary results indicate a potential to elicit improvements in sexual functioning.

OBJECTIVE

This article serves to provide a summary of the therapy and its applications.

METHOD

Selective literature review.

RESULTS

Sacral neuromodulation implants allow for the controlled shifting of the autonomic control of bladder and rectum towards an inhibition or facilitation of voiding, dependent on the patient's needs and under the patient's control. At the same time and depending on the applied stimulation, the implants can interfere with the nerve's conduction of pain signals. This makes them a therapeutic option for pelvic pain that fails to respond to conventional treatment. Finally, there have been first reports suggesting improvements in sexual dysfunction under sacral neuromodulation, thus, potentially opening up a new line of therapy for those disorders.

DISCUSSION

Sacral neuromodulation is a flexible and efficient form of therapy for functional disorders of the pelvic floor. Specifically, the same intervention can treat seemingly contradictory disorders such as urinary/fecal incontinence and retention as well as chronic pain.

Pharmaceutical and Energy-Based Management of Sexual Problems in Women

This article summarizes and critiques the evidence for use of available pharmacotherapies (vasoactive, psychoactive, and hormonal medications) and energy-based therapies (laser, radiofrequency, shockwave, and neurostimulation) for treatment of female sexual dysfunction. The enthusiasm with which energy-based treatments for sexual dysfunction have been adopted is disproportionate to the amount of data currently available to support their clinical use. Pharmacotherapy for female sexual dysfunction has considerably more research evidence to justify its use. Patients must be empowered to make an informed, autonomous determination as to whether the risk/reward ratio favors the use of pharmacotherapy, energy-based therapy, or some other treatment intervention.

Sacral Neuromodulation for Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: Effect of Therapy on Saudi Patient Sexual Function

Background

Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) is FDA-approved therapy for lower urinary tract and bowel dysfunction. It is newly introduced therapy in Saudi Arabia.

Aim

To evaluate the effect of SNM therapy in both male and female Saudi patient's sexual function.

Methods

A prospective cohort study was conducted for all patients who underwent SNM implantation from January 2016 till January 2020 at a single center in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Sexual function was assessed before and after treatment using International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) for men and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) for women.

Main Outcome measures

Sexual function score changes from the baseline was reported. Correlation analysis was studied between IIEF-5 to assess erectile dysfunction and FSFI assessing desire, arousal, orgasm, pain and sexual satisfaction and other collected data including patient's age, functional diagnosis and post void residual (PVR).

Results

The study included 13 total patients (8 female, 5 male) with mean age 47y (33-60). Diagnosis included non-obstructive urine retention (5), refractory overactive bladder (3), combined retention + over active bladder (OAB) (1), pelvic pain syndrome (3) and impotence in 1 patient. All male patients showed significant improvement in their IIEF-5 score from mean pre op 7.8 ±5.7 to post op sore of 19.8±2.3 with significant p value p=0.003.

Female patients showed significant improvement in their FSFI total score from baseline of 18.313±7.4 to post-operative mean FSFI score 26.7±1.8 with p value = 0.013. Domains od FSFI which showed significant improvement were desire, arousal, orgasm and sexual satisfaction with p value =0.002, p=00.1,0.012, and p=0.015. Age, functional diagnosis and PVR did not show significant correlation with IIEF-5 and FSFI score.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that SNM might improve male and female sexual dysfunction regardless of patient's age and diagnosis. Banakhar MA, Younos A. Sacral neuromodulation for lower urinary tract symptoms: effect of therapy on Saudi patient sexual function. Sex Med 2021;9:100388.

Overactive Bladder Syndrome Treatments and Their Effect on Female Sexual Function: A Review

Introduction

Overactive bladder (OAB), the most common subtype of urinary incontinence, has a heavy price on quality of life, especially on sexual life. Unfortunately, most women rarely voice the worsening of sexual function, especially those who already suffer from OAB symptoms. It has been demonstrated that patients who suffer from OAB score lower on Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire and Female Sexual Function Index scores, meaning that their sexual function is debilitated. Therapies for OAB begin with traditional pelvic floor physiotherapy, advance to anticholinergic drugs, and become more invasive with intravesical injections of onabotulinumtoxinA (commonly known as Botox). Last, for patients resistant to conservative therapies, sacral neuromodulation is the treatment of choice.

Methods

This article reviews the current literature that sheds light on the above 4 treatments and their effect on sexual function. This topic is of great importance because of the under-reporting of sexual dysfunction in women who suffer from OAB, in hopes of raising awareness of sexual function for clinicians treating patients with OAB.

Results

This review found that the aforementioned 4 treatments for OAB (physiotherapy, anticholinergic drugs, intravesical injections of onabotulinumtoxinA, and sacral neuromodulation) do not have a detrimental affect on sexual function. On the contrary, the little data that do exist show that sexual function increases after these therapies are completed in women with OAB.

Conclusion

This review concludes with a positive outlook: physicians are helping women with OAB syndrome to improve their sexual function. However, not enough data exist, partially due to under-reporting of diminished sexual function.

Levy G, Lowenstein L. Overactive Bladder Syndrome Treatments and Their Effect on Female Sexual Function: A Review. Sex Med 2019;8:1–7.

The Impact of Sacral Neuromodulation on Sexual Dysfunction

Background/Aims

Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) is a well-established treatment in several urinary and bowel dysfunctions, nevertheless its role on sexual dysfunction remains unclear. We evaluate the impact of SNM on sexual function and its association with age at SNM, functional diagnosis and post-void residual urine (PVR) before SNM.

Methods

Patients who had SNM were retrospectively analyzed. Sexual function was assessed before and after treatment with the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) for men and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) for women. IIEF-5 and FSFI were also associated with age at SNM, functional diagnosis, and PVR.

Results

Fifteen females and 9 males, with a median age of 41 years (26-72 years), median follow-up 20.7 months (2-53 months) were enrolled. IIEF-5 improved in 4 patients (p = 0.06), and FSFI total score in 5 (p = 0.2). There was significant association between functional diagnosis and FSFI total score (p = 0.05), and FSFI specific domains of arousal (p = 0.03), lubrication (p = 0.04), and satisfaction (p = 0.03), with significant improvement showed in patients with detrusor overactivity with impaired contractility.

Conclusion

Although gains observed in IIEF-5 and FSFI were modest, our preliminary results show that SNM may have favorable impact on sexual function.

Refractory Sexual Arousal Subsequent to Sacral Neuromodulation

Background

Sacral neuromodulation has become a widely used treatment for lower urinary tract symptom and dysfunction. It has been observed to benefit sexual function in the domains of arousal and desire. Studies have yet to report markedly increased arousal symptoms as an adverse effect.

Case

We present the case of a 57-year-old woman who developed symptomatic persistent genital arousal following implantation of a neuromodulator. Despite device reprogramming, a trial of the device being shut off, and eventual device removal, she continued to have residual new-onset undesired genital hyper-arousal symptoms.

Conclusion

Our patient demonstrated markedly increased and persistent arousal symptoms that may be the result of upregulated or alternative activation of sacral nerve pathways. While other case reports describe improvement in persistent genital arousal disorder symptoms through neuromodulation, no studies mention hyperarousal symptoms as an adverse side effect after sacral neuromodulator placement nor persistence despite removal of the implant.

Sacral neuromodulation and sexual function: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

Sexual function is being increasingly recognized as an important patient-reported outcome. Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) is a treatment with an expanding list of indications. The effect of sacral neuromodulation on sexual function has been examined in a number of studies with variable results. In this review, we aim to systematically review the literature and pool the data if appropriate.

METHODS

The literature search was conducted primarily on the Healthcare Databases Advanced Search (HDAS) platform using the Medline, EMBASE and CINHAL search engines. Of 196 initial citations, 17 articles met our predefined inclusion criteria. Thirteen studies reported enough information to be included in our meta-analysis. RevMan5 software was used for analysis.

RESULTS

Eight of 17 studies reported a positive effect of SNM on sexual function. Pooled analysis of data from 11 studies involving 573 patients before SNM and 438 patients after SNM showed significant improvement in sexual function (SMD = -0.39; 95% CI: -0.58 to -0.19; p = 0.0001). The results remained significant in most subgroup analyses except in patients suffering from fecal incontinence.

CONCLUSIONS

SNM in women with pelvic floor disorders, especially bladder dysfunction, seems to have a positive effect on sexual function. This needs to be verified in adequately powered primary research using sexual function as the primary outcome.

Prospective randomized study evaluating ultrasound versus fluoroscopy guided sacral InterStim® lead placement: A pilot study

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the use of intraoperative ultrasound during stage I InterStim® sacral lead placement.

METHODS

A total of 40 patients were randomly assigned to undergo InterStim® lead placement utilizing fluoroscopy or ultrasound guidance. Patients were blinded for the duration of the study. The surgeon and staff were blinded until after induction of anesthesia. Patients met criteria for refractory overactive bladder, fecal incontinence, or both. The ICIQ-OABqol, OABSS, and FIQL validated questionnaires were used pre- and post-operatively. Primary endpoint was total fluoroscopy time. Secondary endpoints were total radiation exposure and total number of foramen needle skin punctures.

RESULTS

Forty patients were enrolled, twenty in the ultrasound and twenty in the fluoroscopy only arm. Mean age was 60 (SD = 14.4) and mean BMI 32 (SD = 7.2). Twenty-seven patients (67.5%) had urinary symptoms, four (10%) fecal incontinence, and nine (22.5%) had mixed symptoms. Radiation exposure time was reduced by 70.5 s (P = 0.002), radiation exposure was decreased by 42.3 mGy (P = 0.017), and the number of needle skin punctures decreased by 3.6 (P = 0.035) with use of ultrasound. Mean OR time in minutes was 55.5 in ultrasound and 58.2 in fluoroscopy group (P = 0.53). There were no statistically significant differences in questionnaire scores between groups.

CONCLUSION

Ultrasound guided placement of foramen needle during Stage I sacral neuromodulation results in reduction of radiation exposure to the patient, surgeon, and operating room staff. Further studies are necessary to determine the learning curve and efficacy of this technique.

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Zusammenfassung. Das Urethralsyndrom bei Frauen mit Schmerzen in der Harnröhre und Blasenentleerungsstörungen ist eine Ausschlussdiagnose. Zu den möglichen Ursachen zählen unter anderem Infektionen, Entzündungen der paraurethralen Drüsen, Verspannungen der Sphinkteren und/oder der Beckenbodenmuskulatur, Östrogenmangelerscheinungen, Traumata, Neuropathien, Allergien und psychosomatische Störungen. Patientinnen mit Urethralsyndrom müssen ganzheitlich betrachtet, abgeklärt und behandelt werden. Während der Abklärung und Behandlung benötigen diese Patientinnen viel Zeit und Aufmerksamkeit. Heute gilt als sicher, dass bei vielen somatischen Leiden psychosoziale Faktoren mitspielen, die den Verlauf der Erkrankung entscheidend beeinflussen können und im Behandlungsprozess berücksichtigt werden müssen.

Neuromodulation for the Treatment of Endometriosis-Related Symptoms

Sacral and pudendal neuromodulation have been advocated for the treatment of refractory pelvic pain, urinary urgency and retention, as well as fecal incontinence or constipation, all of which are commonly related to endometriosis and/or its surgical treatment.

In this review, the mechanisms of action and different routes of neuromodulation will be detailed, as well as all the studied applications of neuromodulation on ameliorating symptoms related to endometriosis and/or its treatment.