Summary: 2021 International Consultation on Incontinence Evidence-Based Surgical Pathway for Pelvic Organ Prolapse

(1) Background: There is wide variation in the reported prevalence rates for pelvic organ prolapse (POP). There is also wide variation in the rate at which surgical interventions for pelvic organ prolapse are performed, as well as the type of interventions undertaken. As part of the International Consultation on Incontinence (ICI), our committee was tasked to produce evidence-based pathways for the surgical management of POP, any associated stress urinary incontinence (SUI), and bowel dysfunction. (2) Methods: To enable us to generate such evidence, we undertook a thorough search for the POP surgery-related, English-language scientific literature published up to April 2021. (3) Results: The committee evaluated the literature and made recommendations based on the Oxford grading system. (4) Conclusions: This review serves to provide a summary of the 2021 ICI surgical management of an evidence-based prolapse pathway and outline the evidence used to inform this guidance.

Changing prevalence and knowledge of urinary incontinence among Hong Kong Chinese women

A territory-wide telephone survey was conducted in Hong Kong to assess the prevalence, knowledge, and treatment-seeking behaviour of Chinese women with urinary incontinence, using validated Chinese version of Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6) and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7). Women, 540, aged between 17 to 77 years were interviewed. Of the respondents, 40.8% reported stress urinary incontinence, 20.4% had urge incontinence and 15.9% had mixed incontinence. Among these, 16.0% reported quality of life impairment; 9.3% felt frustrated with low morale, and 15.2% had nervous and anxiety problems. However, as many as 78.3% of the respondents did not know that stress urinary incontinence is a disease entity, and 60.6% thought that leakage of urine was a normal aging process. For those respondents having stress urinary incontinence, the first treatment of choice was physiotherapy. The second choice was medication, and surgical treatment was the last option. Respondents with stress urinary incontinence showed higher education level.

A randomized controlled trial of tolterodine and oxybutynin on tolerability and clinical efficacy for treating Chinese women with an overactive bladder

Objective To compare the tolerability and clinical efficacy of tolterodine and oxybutynin in the treatment of Hong Kong Chinese women with an overactive bladder. Patients and methods A randomized controlled trial was conducted at two urogynaecology centres in Hong Kong. In all, 106 women with urodynamically confirmed detrusor instability were recruited. Baseline severity assessments included a visual analogue scale (VAS), urinary diary and urinary pad-test. The women were randomized to receive either oral tolterodine 2 mg or oxybutynin 5 mg twice daily for 10 weeks. Treatment responses were assessed at 4 and 10 weeks using the VAS and urinary diary. Treatment tolerability was assessed at baseline, 4 and 10 weeks using the Xerostomia Questionnaire. A urinary pad-test was repeated at 10 weeks. Results The perceived change from baseline VAS was better in the tolterodine than the oxybutynin group after 10 weeks of treatment (per-protocol analysis, P = 0.043). The two drugs were effective in reducing the symptoms of frequency (P < 0.001). Tolterodine was significantly better than oxybutynin in reducing urinary leakage (urinary pad-test; median change - 5.00 g vs 0 g, P = 0.019). Both drugs caused a significant worsening of dry mouth (overall dryness, P < 0.005; discomfort, P < 0.005; sleep, P = 0.021; speaking, P = 0.045; swallowing, P = 0.004; and liquid consumption, P = 0.017). Conclusions Both oxybutynin and tolterodine were effective in ameliorating the severity of the symptoms of detrusor instability. Tolterodine was better than oxybutynin in both subjective and objective outcome measures, but both drugs caused similar worsening of dry mouth that may limit the tolerability of these medications.