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Introduction: The spectrum of bladder health and the factors that promote bladder health and prevent lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) among women are not well understood. This manuscript describes the rationale, aims, study design, sampling strategy, and data collection for the RISE FOR HEALTH (RISE) study, a novel study of bladder health in women conducted by the Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptom (PLUS) Research Consortium., Methods and Results: RISE is a population-based, multicenter, prospective longitudinal cohort study of community-dwelling, English- and Spanish-speaking adult women based in the United States. Its goal is to inform the distribution of bladder health and the individual factors (biologic, behavioral, and psychosocial) and multilevel factors (interpersonal, institutional, community, and societal) that promote bladder health and/or prevent LUTS in women across the life course. Key study development activities included the: (1) development of a conceptual framework and philosophy to guide subsequent activities, (2) creation of a study design and sampling strategy, prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and (3) selection and development of data collection components. Community members and cross-cultural experts shaped and ensured the appropriateness of all study procedures and materials. RISE participants will be selected by simple random sampling of individuals identified by a marketing database who reside in the 50 counties surrounding nine PLUS clinical research centers. Participants will complete self-administered surveys at baseline (mailed paper or electronic) to capture bladder health and LUTS, knowledge about bladder health, and factors hypothesized to promote bladder health and prevent LUTS. A subset of participants will complete an in-person assessment to augment data with objective measures including urogenital microbiome specimens. Initial longitudinal follow-up is planned at 1 year., Discussion: Findings from RISE will begin to build the necessary evidence base to support much-needed, new bladder health promotion and LUTS prevention interventions in women., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Purpose: Interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome is a chronic urological condition diagnosed in nearly 8 million females in the United States. Whether urinary microbiota play an etiological role remains controversial. Most studies assessed the microbiota of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome patients with voided or catheterized urine as a proxy for bladder urothelium; however, urine may not be a true reflection of the bladder microbiota. Bladder biopsy tissue may provide a more accurate, and thus more clinically relevant, picture of bladder microbiota., Materials and Methods: Bladder biopsy tissues were obtained from: (1) 30 females with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (18-80 years old) via cystoscopically guided cold-cup biopsy following therapeutic bladder hydrodistention, and (2) 10 non-interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome females undergoing pelvic organ prolapse repair. To detect bacteria, technical duplicates of each RNAlater-preserved biopsy were subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing. To visualize bacteria, paraformaldehyde-fixed, paraffin-embedded biopsies were subjected to a combined multiplexed fluorescence in situ hybridization and fluorescence immunohistochemistry assay and confocal microscopy., Results: Bacteria were detected by 16S rRNA gene sequencing in at least 1 technical duplicate of most biopsies. The most abundant genus was Staphylococcus , followed by Lactobacillus ; Escherichia was common but not abundant. There was no significant difference between interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome patients and controls ( P > .05). Combined fluorescence in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry reproducibly detected 16S rRNA in epithelial cells and shed cells in the urothelium and lesioned areas and capillary walls in the lamina propria of human bladder biopsy tissue., Conclusions: We conclude that urothelial and urinary microbiota are similar but not identical in adult females.

Traditionally, the healthy urinary bladder has been considered to be sterile. Several teams have used metagenomic (DNA-dependent) and metaculturomic (culture-dependent) methods to debunk this longstanding dogma. In fact, resident microbial communities (urobiome) have been detected in both adult females and males. Although the field is young, several observations have been made. For example, the urobiome differs between men and women, likely due to anatomical and hormonal differences. Importantly, the urobiome has been associated with a variety of lower urinary tract disorders, including overactive bladder and post-operative urinary tract infection, raising the possibility that clinicians might one day treat symptoms by modifying the urobiome instead of killing the suspected uropathogen. Little is known concerning the relationship between the urobiome and host genetics; so far, only a single paper has reported such a study. However, major efforts have gone into understanding the genomics of the urobiome itself, a process facilitated by the fact that many urobiome studies have used metaculturomic methods to detect and identify microbes. In this narrative review, we will introduce the urobiome with separate sections on the female and male urobiomes, discuss challenges specific to the urobiome, describe newly discovered associations between the urobiome and lower urinary tract symptoms, and highlight the one study that has attempted to relate host genetics and the urobiome. We will finish with a section on how metagenomic surveys and whole genome sequencing of bacterial isolates are improving our understanding of the urobiome and its relationship to lower urinary tract health and disorders., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: We describe the item development and cognitive evaluation process used in creating the Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Bladder Health Instrument (PLUS-BHI)., Materials and Methods: Questions assessing bladder health were developed using reviews of published items, expert opinion, and focus groups' transcript review. Candidate items were tested through cognitive interviews with community-dwelling women and an online panel survey. Items were assessed for comprehension, language, and response categories and modified iteratively to create the PLUS-BHI., Results: Existing measures of bladder function (storage, emptying, sensation components) and bladder health impact required modification of time frame and response categories to capture a full range of bladder health. Of the women 167 (18-80 years old) completed individual interviews and 791 women (18-88 years) completed the online panel survey. The term "bladder health" was unfamiliar for most and was conceptualized primarily as absence of severe urinary symptoms, infection, or cancer. Coping mechanisms and self-management strategies were central to bladder health perceptions. The inclusion of prompts and response categories that captured infrequent symptoms increased endorsement of symptoms across bladder function components., Conclusions: Bladder health measurement is challenged by a lack of awareness of normal function, use of self-management strategies to mitigate impact on activities, and a common tendency to overlook infrequent lower urinary tract symptoms. The PLUS-BHI is designed to characterize the full spectrum of bladder health in women and will be validated for research use.

Background: Previous work has shown that the vaginal microbiome decreases in Lactobacillus predominance and becomes more diverse after menopause. It has also been shown that estrogen therapy restores Lactobacillus dominance in the vagina and that topical estrogen is associated with overactive bladder symptom improvement. We now know that the bladder contains a unique microbiome and that increased bladder microbiome diversity is associated with overactive bladder. However, there is no understanding of how quickly each pelvic floor microbiome responds to estrogen or if those changes are associated with symptom improvement., Objective: This study aimed to determine if estrogen treatment of postmenopausal women with overactive bladder decreases urobiome diversity., Study Design: We analyzed data from postmenopausal participants in 2 trials (NCT02524769 and NCT02835846) who chose vaginal estrogen as the primary overactive bladder treatment and used 0.5 g of conjugated estrogen (Premarin cream; Pfizer, New York City, NY) twice weekly for 12 weeks. Baseline and 12-week follow-up data included the Overactive Bladder questionnaire, and participants provided urine samples via catheter, vaginal swabs, perineal swabs, and voided urine samples. Microbes were detected by an enhanced culture protocol. Linear mixed models were used to estimate microbiome changes over time. Urinary antimicrobial peptide activity was assessed by a bacterial growth inhibition assay and correlated with relative abundance of members of the urobiome., Results: In this study, 12 weeks of estrogen treatment resulted in decreased microbial diversity within the vagina (Shannon, P=.047; Richness, P=.043) but not in the other niches. A significant increase in Lactobacillus was detected in the bladder (P=.037) but not in the vagina (P=.33), perineum (P=.56), or voided urine (P=.28). The change in Lactobacillus levels in the bladder was associated with modest changes in urgency incontinence symptoms (P=.02). The relative abundance of the genus Corynebacterium correlated positively with urinary antimicrobial peptide activity after estrogen treatment., Conclusion: Estrogen therapy may change the microbiome of different pelvic floor niches. The vagina begins to decrease in diversity, and the bladder experiences a significant increase in Lactobacillus levels; the latter is correlated with a modest improvement in the symptom severity subscale of the Overactive Bladder questionnaire., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Since the discovery of the bladder microbiome (urobiome), interest has grown in learning whether urobiome characteristics have a role in clinical phenotyping and provide opportunities for novel therapeutic approaches for women with common forms of urinary incontinence., Objective: This study aimed to test the hypothesis that the bladder urobiome differs among women in the control cohort and women affected by urinary incontinence by assessing associations between urinary incontinence status and the cultured urobiome., Study Design: With institutional review board oversight, urine specimens from 309 adult women were collected through transurethral catheterization. These women were categorized into 3 cohorts (continent control, stress urinary incontinence [SUI], and urgency urinary incontinence [UUI]) based on their responses to the validated Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI) questionnaire. Among 309 women, 150 were in the continent control cohort, 50 were in the SUI cohort, and 109 were in the UUI cohort. Symptom severity was assessed by subscale scoring with the Urinary Distress Inventory (UDI), subscale of the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory. Microbes were assessed by expanded quantitative urine culture protocol, which detects the most common bladder microbes (bacteria and yeast). Microbes were identified to the species level by matrix-assisted laser desorption and ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Alpha diversity indices were calculated for culture-positive samples and compared across the 3 cohorts. The correlations of UDI scores, alpha diversity indices, and species abundance were estimated., Results: Participants had a mean age of 53 years (range 22-90); most were whites (65%). Women with urinary incontinence were slightly older (control, 47; SUI, 54; UUI, 61). By design, UDI symptom scores differed (control, 8.43 [10.1]; SUI, 97.95 [55.36]; UUI, 93.71 [49.12]; P<.001). Among 309 participants, 216 (70%) had expanded quantitative urine culture-detected bacteria; furthermore, the urinary incontinence cohorts had a higher detection frequency than the control cohort (control, 57%; SUI, 86%; UUI, 81%; P<.001). In addition, the most frequently detected species among the cohorts were as follows: continent control, Lactobacillus iners (12.7%), Streptococcus anginosus (12.7%), L crispatus (10.7%), and L gasseri (10%); SUI, S anginosus (26%), L iners (18%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (18%), and L jensenii (16%); and UUI, S anginosus (30.3%), L gasseri (22%), Aerococcus urinae (18.3%), and Gardnerella vaginalis (17.4%). However, only Actinotignum schaalii (formerly Actinobaculum schaalii), A urinae, A sanguinicola, and Corynebacterium lipophile group were found at significantly higher mean abundances in 1 of the urinary incontinence cohorts when compared with the control cohort (Wilcoxon rank sum test; P<.02), and no individual genus differed significantly between the 2 urinary incontinence cohorts. Both urinary incontinence cohorts had increased alpha diversity similar to continent control cohort with indices of species richness, but not evenness, strongly associated with urinary incontinence., Conclusion: In adult women, the composition of the culturable bladder urobiome is associated with urinary incontinence, regardless of common incontinence subtype. Detection of more unique living microbes was associated with worsening incontinence symptom severity. Culturable species richness was significantly greater in the urinary incontinence cohorts than in the continent control cohort., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: To characterise the bladder microbiota of continent adult women., Design: Cross-sectional study of adult women who contributed catheterised urine samples, completed validated symptom questionnaires, and provided demographic data., Setting: US academic medical centre., Population: Well-characterised continent adult women., Methods: Participants contributed symptoms questionnaires, demographic data, and catheterised urine samples that were analysed by enhanced urine culture methodology and 16S rRNA gene sequencing., Main Outcome Measures: Associations between demographics and microbial community state structures (urotypes, defined by the dominant taxon of each specimen)., Results: The bladder microbiota (urobiome) of a control group of 224 continent women were characterised, demonstrating variability in terms of urotype. The most common urotype was Lactobacillus (19%), which did not differ with any demographic. In contrast, the Gardnerella (P < 0.001) and Escherichia (P = 0.005) urotypes were more common in younger and older women, respectively., Conclusions: For urobiome research, enhanced culture methods and/or DNA sequencing are the preferred techniques for bacterial detection. The interpretation of clinical tests, such as the standard urine culture, should incorporate the knowledge that some women have Gardnerella or Escherichia urotypes without evidence of any clinical disorder. Clinical care strategies should preserve or restore the beneficial effects of the native urobiome, as disruption of that microbial community could result in unintended vulnerability to uropathogen invasion or opportunistic pathogen overgrowth. Longitudinal studies of urobiome responses to therapies should be encouraged., Tweetable Abstract: In continent adult women bladder microbiome composition differs by age, with relevance for clinical practice., (© 2019 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.)

While recent efforts have been made to understand the bladder health experiences, perceptions, and knowledge of cisgender adolescent females and women, virtually nothing is known about the bladder health experiences of people who identify as sexual and gender minorities (SGMs). A community-based participatory research approach using a focus group methodology to engage 36 adult participants who identify as SGM, including individuals who identify as gender non-conforming, queer, transgender (trans) men, or lesbian, in one of six focus group discussions on bladder health. Using directed content qualitative data analysis from the six unique focus groups, three interrelated themes were revealed: gender socialization of voiding behavior and toilet environment culture producing identity threats, and risks to gender affirmation; consequences of hetero-cis normative bathroom infrastructure necessitating adaptive voiding behaviors; and, physical and psychosocial consequences of chronic anxiety and fear are associated with voiding experiences. Insight on how SGMs navigate voiding behaviors, toilet experiences, and health care seeking is needed to assure that bladder health promotion activities are inclusive of this population's needs.

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are highly prevalent in women, and are expected to impose a growing burden to individuals and society as the population ages. The predominance of research related to LUTS has focused on underlying pathology, disease mechanisms, or the efficacy of treatments for women with LUTS. Although this research has been vital for helping to reduce or ameliorate LUTS conditions, it has done little to prevent the onset of LUTS. Health promotion and prevention require an expansion of scientific inquiry beyond the traditional paradigm of studying disease mechanisms and treatment to the creation of an evidence base to support recommendations for bladder health promotion and, in turn, prevention of LUTS. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) introduced the concept of prevention as an important priority for women's urologic research as a prelude to supporting the formation of the Prevention of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (PLUS) research consortium. In this article, we introduce the PLUS research consortium to the scientific community; share the innovative paradigms by which the consortium operates; and describe its unique research mission: to identify factors that promote bladder health across the life course and prevent the onset of LUTS in girls and women.

Urinary incontinence symptoms are highly prevalent among women, have a substantial effect on health-related quality of life and are associated with considerable personal and societal expenditure. Two main types are described: stress urinary incontinence, in which urine leaks in association with physical exertion, and urgency urinary incontinence, in which urine leaks in association with a sudden compelling desire to void. Women who experience both symptoms are considered as having mixed urinary incontinence. Research has revealed overlapping potential causes of incontinence, including dysfunction of the detrusor muscle or muscles of the pelvic floor, dysfunction of the neural controls of storage and voiding, and perturbation of the local environment within the bladder. A full diagnostic evaluation of urinary incontinence requires a medical history, physical examination, urinalysis, assessment of quality of life and, when initial treatments fail, invasive urodynamics. Interventions can include non-surgical options (such as lifestyle modifications, pelvic floor muscle training and drugs) and surgical options to support the urethra or increase bladder capacity. Future directions in research may increasingly target primary prevention through understanding of environmental and genetic risks for incontinence.

Adult human urine is not sterile. The resident bacterial community may contribute to urinary health and disease in undiscovered ways. Bacterial genomic sequencing and expanded urine culture techniques are major complementary tools for scientific exploration in urologic research., (Copyright © 2015 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Resident bacterial communities (microbiota) and host antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are both essential components of normal host innate immune responses that limit infection and pathogen induced inflammation. However, their interdependence has not been investigated in the context of urinary tract infection (UTI) susceptibility. Here, we explored the interrelationship between the urinary microbiota and host AMP responses as mechanisms for UTI risk. Using prospectively collected day of surgery (DOS) urine specimens from female pelvic floor surgery participants, we report that the relative abundance and/or frequency of specific urinary microbiota distinguished between participants who did or did not develop a post-operative UTI. Furthermore, UTI risk significantly correlated with both specific urinary microbiota and β-defensin AMP levels. Finally, urinary AMP hydrophobicity and protease activity were greater in participants who developed UTI, and correlated positively with both UTI risk and pelvic floor symptoms. These data demonstrate an interdependency between the urinary microbiota, AMP responses and symptoms, and identify a potential mechanism for UTI risk. Assessment of bacterial microbiota and host innate immune AMP responses in parallel may identify increased risk of UTI in certain populations.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to report the frequency of abnormal cystoscopy at incontinence surgery and to identify risk factors and sequelae of injury., Study Design: Findings of cystoscopy were collected prospectively in 3 multicenter surgical trials. Clinical, demographic, and procedure characteristics and surgeon experience were analyzed for association with iatrogenic injury and noninjury abnormalities. Impact of abnormalities on continence outcomes and adverse events during 12 months after the procedure were assessed., Results: Abnormal findings in the bladder or urethra were identified in 95 of 1830 women (5.2%). Most injuries (75.8%) were iatrogenic. Lower urinary tract (LUT) injury was most common at retropubic urethropexy and retropubic midurethral sling (MUS) procedures (6.4% each), followed by autologous pubovaginal sling procedures (1.7%) and transobturator MUS (0.4%). Increasing age (56.9 vs 51.9 years; P = .04), vaginal deliveries (3.2 vs 2.6; P = .04), and blood loss (393 vs 218 mL; P = .01) were associated with LUT injury during retropubic urethropexy; however, only age (62.9 vs 51.4 years; P = .02) and smoking history (P = .04) were associated for pubovaginal sling procedures. No factors correlated with increased risk of injury at retropubic and transobturator MUS. Notably, previous incontinence surgery, concomitant procedures, anesthesia type, and trainee participation did not increase LUT injury frequency. Although discharge with an indwelling catheter was more common after trocar perforation compared with the noninjury group (55.6% vs 18.5%; P < .001), they did not differ in overall success, voiding dysfunction, recurrent urinary tract infections, or urge urinary incontinence., Conclusion: Universal cystoscopy at incontinence surgery detects abnormalities in 1 in 20 women. Urinary trocar perforations that are addressed intraoperatively have no long-term adverse sequelae., (Copyright © 2014 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Our previous study showed that bacterial genomes can be identified using 16S rRNA sequencing in urine specimens of both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients who are culture negative according to standard urine culture protocols. In the present study, we used a modified culture protocol that included plating larger volumes of urine, incubation under varied atmospheric conditions, and prolonged incubation times to demonstrate that many of the organisms identified in urine by 16S rRNA gene sequencing are, in fact, cultivable using an expanded quantitative urine culture (EQUC) protocol. Sixty-five urine specimens (from 41 patients with overactive bladder and 24 controls) were examined using both the standard and EQUC culture techniques. Fifty-two of the 65 urine samples (80%) grew bacterial species using EQUC, while the majority of these (48/52 [92%]) were reported as no growth at 10(3) CFU/ml by the clinical microbiology laboratory using the standard urine culture protocol. Thirty-five different genera and 85 different species were identified by EQUC. The most prevalent genera isolated were Lactobacillus (15%), followed by Corynebacterium (14.2%), Streptococcus (11.9%), Actinomyces (6.9%), and Staphylococcus (6.9%). Other genera commonly isolated include Aerococcus, Gardnerella, Bifidobacterium, and Actinobaculum. Our current study demonstrates that urine contains communities of living bacteria that comprise a resident female urine microbiota.

Aims: To discuss the importance of patients' treatment goals and perceived goal attainment to better address expectations in the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), including overactive bladder (OAB)., Methods: The development of the Self-Assessment Goal Achievement (SAGA) questionnaire was driven by measurement principles from the field of qualitative and psychometric research adapted to elicit patients' treatment goals. At baseline, SAGA solicits individualized responses of patient's treatment expectations and goals, and at follow-up SAGA uses a goal-attainment scale (GAS) to document goal achievement., Results: The SAGA questionnaire provides a basis for the patient and physician to discuss realistic treatment expectations and to measure the alignment between patients' expectations and treatment outcomes in terms of improvement in symptoms and impact on function. Therefore, incorporating the SAGA questionnaire into clinical trials may provide an additional dimension of treatment efficacy by incorporating data on treatment satisfaction from the patient's perspective., Conclusions: The SAGA questionnaire is a useful tool for patient-centered discussions about the treatment and management of LUTS, including OAB, and assisting physicians in tracking progress and managing patient expectations during therapy., (© 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Stress urinary incontinence is a condition that affects mainly women and is characterized by the involuntary loss of urine in conjunction with an increase in abdominal pressure but in the absence of a bladder contraction. In spite of the large number of women affected by this condition, little is known regarding the mechanics associated with the maintenance of continence in women. Urodynamic measurements of the pressure acting on the bladder and the pressures developed within the bladder and the urethra offer a potential starting point for constructing computational models of the bladder and urethra during stress events. The measured pressures can be utilized in these models to provide information to specify loads and validate the models. The main goals of this study were to investigate the feasibility of incorporating human urodynamic pressure data into a computational model of the bladder and the urethra during a cough and determine if the resulting model could be validated through comparison of predicted and measured vesical pressure. The results of this study indicated that simplified models can predict vesical pressures that differ by less than 5 cmH(2)O (<10%) compared to urodynamic pressure measurements. In addition, varying material properties had a minimal impact on the vesical pressure and displacements predicted by the model. The latter finding limits the use of vesical pressure as a validation criterion since different parameters can yield similar results in the same model. However, the insensitivity of vesical pressure predictions to material properties ensures that the outcome of our models is not highly sensitive to tissue material properties, which are not well characterized.

Clinical urine specimens are usually considered to be sterile when they do not yield uropathogens using standard clinical cultivation procedures. Our aim was to test if the adult female bladder might contain bacteria that are not identified by these routine procedures. An additional aim was to identify and recommend the appropriate urine collection method for the study of bacterial communities in the female bladder. Consenting participants who were free of known urinary tract infection provided urine samples by voided, transurethral, and/or suprapubic collection methods. The presence of bacteria in these samples was assessed by bacterial culture, light microscopy, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Bacteria that are not or cannot be routinely cultivated (hereinafter called uncultivated bacteria) were common in voided urine, urine collected by transurethral catheter (TUC), and urine collected by suprapubic aspirate (SPA), regardless of whether the subjects had urinary symptoms. Voided urine samples contained mixtures of urinary and genital tract bacteria. Communities identified in parallel urine samples collected by TUC and SPA were similar. Uncultivated bacteria are clearly present in the bladders of some women. It remains unclear if these bacteria are viable and/or if their presence is relevant to idiopathic urinary tract conditions.

Purpose: To evaluate the test-retest reliability of a device that measures urinary sensation during cystometry, and to use that device to determine whether treatment of overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) with solifenacin is associated with a change in urinary sensation., Methods: Overall 15 women were recruited for this study, ten women with OAB and urodynamically demonstrated detrusor overactivity and five controls without OAB underwent filling cystometry twice with contemporaneous, continuous recording of urinary sensation. Women with OAB received solifenacin 10 mg daily during the weeks between testing. We compared the areas under the initial and repeat sensation-volume curves., Results: While taking solifenacin, the maximum cystometric capacity increased from 329 ± 168 ml to 464 ± 123 ml (P < 0.002), and the area under the bladder volume-sensation curve decreased (P < 0.0001). Untreated controls did not exhibit these changes., Conclusion: We present psychometric data demonstrating improved bladder sensation during the treatment of OAB with solifenacin. If clinical correlations are confirmed by future study, such urinary sensation measures may prove useful as assessment, treatment predictor, or outcome measures in OAB research and/or clinical care.

Introduction and Hypothesis: The rigid catheter guide is used during the tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) procedure to direct the bladder neck away from the retropubic passage of the sling arm. Our aim was to measure, using transperineal ultrasound, the amount of bladder neck displacement by the rigid catheter guide during TVT placement., Methods: This is a prospective cohort of 28 patients undergoing the TVT procedure, with or without concomitant pelvic organ prolapse repair. Spearman's correlation was used to analyze the bladder neck displacement from the midline., Results: The median right-sided bladder neck displacement distance was 1.4 cm (0.6-2.0), and the median left-sided bladder neck displacement distance was 1.4 cm (0.8-2.0). The overall perforation rate was 14% (4/28)., Conclusions: Bladder neck displacement with the Mandarin guide results in ~1.4 cm of lateral movement.

Unlabelled: INTRODUCTION & HYPOTHESIS: Determine if treatment of urge incontinence with tolterodine results in changes in bladder and/or urethral sensation using Current Perception Threshold (CPT) testing., Methods: Women with >or=1 incontinence episode on 7-day diary were treated with 4 mg of long-acting tolterodine for 2-months. At baseline and 2-months, participants had CPT testing of the urethral and bladder at 3 frequencies 2000, 250, and 5 Hz. Baseline and post-treatment measures were compared using Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test., Results: Seventeen women underwent baseline CPT testing. Four discontinued medication due to side effects and did not have repeated testing. Urethral CPT at 250 Hz was lower after treatment (median 1.3 [Interquartile range .69-2.1] and .75 [.45-1.2], p = .003) and at 5 Hz trended toward a significant decrease (1.1 [1-1.9] and .84 [.32-1.1], p = .06)., Conclusions: Urethral sensitivity improves after 2-months of tolterodine, suggesting it may restore urethral sensory nerves in addition to known motor effects., ((c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Aims: To describe the temporal relationship between increases in lower urinary tract (LUT) sensation and changes in detrusor and/or urethral pressures measured in real time., Methods: We reviewed 33 multichannel urodynamic tracings that included a continuous recording of LUT sensation and that demonstrated detrusor overactivity incontinence (DOI) or detrusor overactivity (DO). Four physicians reviewed each urodynamic tracing and reached agreement about the temporal relationship between LUT sensation and detrusor contraction., Results: Median age was 60 (36-82) years. Fourteen (42%) had urodynamic diagnoses of mixed incontinence, 18 (55%) had DOI, and 1 (3%) had DO without DOI. We reviewed 119 episodes of detrusor overactivity from the 33 recordings. We found no difference in change in sensation level when comparing DO episodes with DOI episodes or between different urodynamic diagnoses (P > 0.5). There was no dominant temporal pattern seen for the whole group (P = 0.84), that is, there was no evidence that the change in sensation level was more likely to occur before, during, or after DO/DOI episodes. When evaluating the changes in the urethral pressure, the most common pattern seen was an increase in sensation level after a fall in urethral pressure, but no dominant pattern was seen., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that increased LUT sensation during DO/DOI is not reliably caused by measurable alterations in bladder or urethral pressure., ((c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

The purpose of the study was to compare incontinence bother in women with mixed incontinence versus pure incontinence subtypes. This is an institutional review board-approved study comparing physical exam findings and responses to the Medical Epidemiologic and Social Aspects of Aging (MESA) questionnaire and the Urinary Distress Inventory (UDI-6). The MESA responses were used to classify women as mixed, pure stress, or pure urge incontinence. This analysis includes 551 women with a mean age of 56 +/- 16 years. Most women were Caucasian (86%) with 7% African American and 5% Hispanic. UDI scores were significantly higher in women with mixed incontinence (61 +/- 23) than those with pure stress incontinence (40 +/- 26) or pure urge incontinence (40 +/- 25; p < 0.0001). Women with mixed incontinence report greater incontinence bother than women with either pure stress or urge incontinence.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility and validity of a continuous measurement of urinary sensation during cystometry., Study Design: Subjects continuously recorded their level of urinary sensation during cystometry with the use of urodynamic diagnoses and responses to the Medical Epidemiologic and Social Aspects of Aging (MESA) and Urinary Distress Inventory (UDI) scales. Trends in urinary sensation recordings by increasing percentage of maximum cystometric capacity (MCC) were captured and compared with the use of growth curves., Results: Fifty-one women participated: 18 patients had detrusor overactivity incontinence (DOI); 15 patients had urodynamic stress incontinence; 9 patients had mixed incontinence, and 9 patients did not demonstrate incontinence. In the volume range between 35% and 75% of MCC, the mean sensation level was higher in the DOI group than the other groups (P < .04). Urge sensation at 50% of MCC correlated with UDI and MESA urge subscales (rho = 0.34, p < .03 and rho = 0.39, p < .02)., Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the Urgeometer measurement is feasible and correlates with urodynamic diagnosis and the severity and bother from urge incontinence.

The aim of this study is to describe results of reduction testing in stress-continent women undergoing sacrocolpopexy and to estimate whether stress leakage during urodynamic testing with prolapse reduction predicts postoperative stress incontinence. Three hundred twenty-two stress-continent women with stages II-IV prolapse underwent standardized urodynamics. Five prolapse reduction methods were tested: two at each site and both performed for each subject. Clinicians were masked to urodynamic results. At sacrocolpopexy, participants were randomized to Burch colposuspension or no Burch (control). P-values were computed by two-tailed Fisher's exact test or t-test. Preoperatively, only 12 of 313 (3.7%) subjects demonstrated urodynamic stress incontinence (USI) without prolapse reduction. More women leaked after the second method than after the first (22% vs. 16%; p = 0.012). Preoperative detection of USI with prolapse reduction at 300ml was pessary, 6% (5 of 88); manual, 16% (19 of 122); forceps, 21% (21 of 98); swab, 20% (32 of 158); and speculum, 30% (35 of 118). Women who demonstrated preoperative USI during prolapse reduction were more likely to report postoperative stress incontinence, regardless of concomitant colposuspension (controls 58% vs. 38% (p = 0.04) and Burch 32% vs. 21% (p = 0.19)). In stress-continent women undergoing sacrocolpopexy, few women demonstrated USI without prolapse reduction. Detection rates of USI with prolapse reduction varied significantly by reduction method. Preoperative USI leakage during reduction testing is associated with a higher risk for postoperative stress incontinence at 3 months. Future research is warranted in this patient population to evaluate other treatment options to refine predictions and further reduce the risk of postoperative stress incontinence.

Aims: To explore the relationship of cystometric volume at the time of first detection of detrusor overactive incontinence (DOI) to condition-specific quality of life (QOL)., Methods: We reviewed consecutive charts of women diagnosed with pure DOI during urodynamic testing. DOI volume was defined as the cystometric volume at the first detection of DOI. Responses to the Urine Distress Inventory (UDI6) and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ7) were recorded. Spearman correlations were used to compare independent groups with respect to continuous variables., Results: Eighty-nine women were included in this analysis. DOI volume was inversely correlated with UDI6 and IIQ7 scores (Spearman's rho = -0.514, P < 0.001 and Spearman's rho = -0.611, P < 0.001). Maximal cystometric capacity was also inversely correlated with UDI6 and IIQ7 scores (rho = -0.458, P < 0.0001 and Spearman's rho = -0.43, P < 0.0001)., Conclusions: Women who experience DOI at lower volumes during urodynamics report greater bother and QOL impact from incontinence than women who leak at higher volumes., (Copyright 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Aims: To (1) correlate peak and maximum flow rates from non-instrumented flow (NIF) and pressure-flow studies (PFS) in women with pelvic organ prolapse (POP); (2) measure the impact of voided volume and degree of prolapse on correlations., Methods: We compared four groups of women with stages II-IV POP. Groups 1 and 2 were symptomatically stress continent women participating in the colpopexy and urinary reduction efforts (CARE) trial; during prolapse reduction before sacrocolpopexy, Group 1 (n = 67) did not have and Group 2 (n = 84) had urodynamic stress incontinence (USI). Group 3 (n = 74) and Group 4 participants (n = 73), recruited specifically for this study, had stress urinary incontinence (SUI) symptoms. Group 3 planned sacrocolpopexy. Group 4 planned a different treatment option. Participants completed standardized uroflowmetry and pressure voiding studies., Results: Subjects' median age was 61 years; median parity 3% and 80% had stage III or IV POP. Based on the Blaivas-Groutz nomogram, 49% of all women were obstructed. NIF and PFS peak and average flow rates had low correlations with one another (0.31, P < 0.001 and 0.35, P < 0.001, respectively). When NIF and PFS voided volumes were within 25% of each other, the peak and average flow rate correlations improved (0.52, P < 0.001 and 0.57, P < 0.001, respectively). As vaginal prolapse increased, correlations between NIF and PFS peak and average flow rates decreased., Conclusion: Peak and average flow rates are highly dependent on voided volume in women with prolapse. As the prolapse stage increases, correlations between NIF and PFS variables decrease., ((c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Purpose: Given increased evidence of sensory dysfunction in lower urinary tract pathology, we determined normative current perception threshold values in the lower urinary tract of asymptomatic women., Materials and Methods: After receiving institutional review board approval women without lower urinary tract symptoms underwent current perception threshold testing of the urethra and bladder using a Neurometer constant current stimulator. Current perception threshold values were determined at 3 frequencies, including 2,000 Hz (corresponding to A-beta fibers), 250 Hz (corresponding to A-delta fibers) and 5 Hz (corresponding to C fibers)., Results: A total of 48 women with a mean age of 38 years (range 23 to 67) underwent current perception threshold testing. Normative values were established for the urethra and bladder at 2,000, 250 and 5 Hz. Median urethral current perception thresholds at 2,000, 250 and 5 Hz were 1.2 (IQR 0.76-1.5), 0.45 (IQR 0.33-0.56) and 0.11 mA (IQR 0.07-0.24), respectively. Median bladder current perception thresholds at 2,000, 250 and 5 Hz were 4.1 (IQR 2.0-6.3), 2.3 (IQR 0.87-5.5) and 1.4 mA (IQR 0.22-2.9), respectively. Urethral and bladder current perception thresholds increased significantly with subject age at all 3 frequencies (p<0.0005). Prior pelvic surgery was associated with an increased bladder current perception threshold at all 3 frequencies (p<0.005) but not with the urethral current perception threshold., Conclusions: We report urethral and bladder current perception thresholds for a large sample of asymptomatic women. These reference values may help elucidate changes in afferent nerve function in women with lower urinary tract dysfunction.

Aims: Many parameters have been utilized to try to estimate severity of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Valsalva leak point pressure (VLPP) measurements, have been proposed as a reliable means of gauging the severity of SUI during urodynamic studies (UDS). Certain, non-invasive, measures of incontinence severity have been proposed, but the correlation of these measures with VLPP is not known. In addition, the correlation of other important UDS measures and VLPP has not been evaluated. In this study we sought to define the relationship between demographic characteristics, physical exam findings, and non-sphincteric UDS measures with VLPP in a large multicenter randomized surgical trial comparing Burch urethropexy and fascial sling for the treatment of SUI., Materials and Methods: Pre-surgical, standardized urodynamic measures were obtained in all participants in the Stress Incontinence Treatment Efficacy Trial (SISTEr) trial. All UDS were assessed for quality assurance and protocol compliance. VLPP was assessed using a <8 Fr water transducer catheter during graded Valsalva maneuvers at 200 ml, and then at 100 ml intervals and bladder capacity if no SUI was noted earlier. Only data from women who had SUI on at least two of three consecutive valsalva maneuvers was utilized for this analysis. Delta VLPP was determined as the average value, and the baseline vesical pressure was subtracted from the absolute vesical pressure to arrive at the reported VLPP value. Independent variables studied to assess their relationship to VLPP value included demographic characteristics (age, number of pregnancies, # vaginal deliveries, hormone usage, previous hysterectomy, previous SUI surgery), physical exam parameters [body mass index--BMI, Pelvic Organ Prolapse-Quantified POPQ stage, POPQ Aa measurement, Q-tip angle (rest) and Q-tip angle (strain), and change in angle], and other urodynamic parameters (volume of first leakage, volume at first sensation, presence of detrusor overactivity, maximum cystometric capacity--MCC, maximum flow rate--Q(max), and detrusor pressure at maximum flow rate--pdet.Q(max))., Results: Among the 655 women randomized, 424 were found to have evaluable VLPPs. Thirty-four had stage 3 or 4 prolapse and were excluded from the VLPP analysis. The remaining 390 women had a mean VLPP of 81.1 cm H(2)O. On bivariate analysis, there were significant positive associations with VLPP and BMI (P = 0.026), Q-tip straining angle (P = 0.0002) change in Q-tip angle (P = 0.0046), MCC (P < 0.0001) and pdet.Q(max) (P = 0.0003). Age was negatively associated with VLPP (P < 0.0001). For categorical values, lower POPQ stage (0/1), post menopausal status, and use of hormones were all associated with lower VLPP values. For example, patients with stage 2 had, on the average, VLPP values that were more than 10 cm H(2)O greater than those with stage 0/1. On multivariate analysis, however, only lower age, greater BMI, greater MCC, greater pdet.Q(max), and lower Q(max) were found to be independent associated with higher delta VLPP., Conclusions: Advancing age, lower BMI, higher maximum flow rate, and lower voiding pressures are all independently associated with lower VLPP in women undergoing surgery for SUI. Lower voiding pressures and higher flow rates among women with more severe SUI may reflect the chronic loss of urethral resistance associated with SUI. Interestingly, urethral hypermobility as assessed by Q-tip testing angle does not achieve a statistically significant association with VLPP on multivariate testing when controlling for POP-Q stage. Thus, as clinically suspected, the Q-tip test is not predictive of VLPP in women with urethral hypermobility and SUI.

This study compared simultaneous intravesical pressure readings obtained with catheter-mounted microtip transducers and external water pressure transducer catheters during filling cystometry. Women undergoing multichannel urodynamic testing were randomly assigned to one of three groups: two microtip catheters, two external water pressure transducer catheters, or one of each type. Intravesical pressure was measured simultaneously for each transducer combination in each subject for minimal and maximal Valsalva effort and minimal, moderate, and maximal cough effort at two sequential bladder volumes (150 and 300 ml). Paired t tests were used to compare the means of the intravesical pressure obtained by the two types of catheters. The largest mean differences were observed when comparing microtip and water pressure transducers. Correlations of maximum pressure were consistently high between two microtip transducers and two water pressure transducers but lower for the microtip-water combination. Excellent reproducibility was demonstrated with transducers of similar types for intravesical pressures recorded during Valsalva and cough in women without prolapse. However, considerable variability was seen in pressures recorded by different transducers, particularly dependent on the water catheter manufacturer, indicating that intravesical pressure recordings from microtip and water-based systems are not interchangeable.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between urethral pressure and the neuromuscular activity of the urethral sphincter with the use of quantitative electromyography during bladder filling., Study Design: Women who underwent multichannel urodynamic testing with concentric needle electromyography of the striated urethral sphincter between December 2000 and February 2002 were studied. Raw electromyography signals were processed by a electromyography instrument that was equipped with automated motor unit analysis software programs. Quantitative electromyography software was used to analyze the electrical activity of the urethral sphincter during filling cystometry., Results: One hundred women (mean age, 60 years [range, 22-82 years]; median parity, 3 children [range, 0-8 children]) were studied. Most women (79%) were postmenopausal, and 68% of those women were receiving hormone replacement therapy. Quantitative electromyography values increased significantly at 300 mL and maximum cystometric capacity; however, there was no significant increase in urethral pressure. The median change in urethral pressure at 300 mL and maximum cystometric capacity were 4 cm water (interquartile range, 0-8 cm) and 0 cm water (interquartile range, -4-8 cm), respectively (P = .229). The median change in quantitative electromyography at 300 mL and maximum cystometric capacity were 9 microV (range, 5-14 microV) and 10 microV (range, 7-19 microV), respectively (P < .0005). There was no correlation between change in urethral pressure and motor unit activation on quantitative electromyography at 300 mL or maximum cystometric capacity. Fifty-six women had no change or a decreased urethral pressure at maximum cystometric capacity, yet all but 1 of these women had increased motor unit activation on quantitative electromyography., Conclusion: Urethral pressure does not increase during filling cystometry, despite increased activity of the striated urethral sphincter, which suggests that urethral pressure change does not reflect the integrity of the striated urethral sphincter.

The aim of this study was to document the relative proportions of two isoforms of myosin heavy chain in detrusor smooth muscle of women with detrusor overactivity and in asymptomatic controls. Women aged 35-65 with documented detrusor overactivity and without a history of neurologic disease, prior incontinence surgery, elevated post-void residual urine volume, or indwelling urinary catheter were eligible for the study. Full-thickness biopsies of extraperitoneal bladder dome were obtained at the time of laparotomy in six patients with documented detrusor overactivity and in a control group of eight continent patients. Biopsies were frozen in liquid nitrogen, crushed with a frozen mortar and pestle at -80 degrees C, and homogenized in buffer, and the extracts were electrophoresed on 6% polyacrylamide sodium dodecyl sulfate gels and stained with Coomassie blue. The gels were de-stained and then the protein bands were scanned with a densitometer. The mean patient age was 48 years (range, 36-59). Seven patients were Caucasian and seven patients were African American. Detrusor smooth muscle contains a mean of 34% (range, 27-43%) SM1 and 66% (range, 57-73%) SM2 isoforms. There was no difference in isoform composition when patients were compared according to urogynecologic diagnosis or according to race. In detrusor biopsies from women, approximately 34% of myosin is of the SM1 isoform and approximately 66% is of the SM2 isoform. This ratio is relatively constant in the two races studied and unchanged in women with detrusor overactivity. Animal models utilizing outlet obstruction of the bladder to provoke detrusor instability and detrusor hypertrophy are known to alter myosin isoform distribution and may not be appropriate models of detrusor instability in human females.

Objective: We performed a quantitative study to determine whether mixed urinary incontinence was associated with any ultrastructural changes in detrusor and urethral smooth muscle., Study Design: Detrusor and urethral smooth muscle biopsy specimens were obtained at the time of laparotomy from 5 women aged 35 to 65 years with mixed urinary incontinence and from a control group of 5 continent women. Smooth muscle morphologic characteristics were assessed from a systematic random sample of electron micrographs. A further 16 urethral biopsy specimens were similarly analyzed to confirm the findings of the initial study., Results: The electron-dense portion of the sarcolemma was smaller in urethral biopsy specimens taken from patients with intrinsic sphincter deficiency than in those from control subjects (chi(2)((1)) = 4.9; P =.027). No other morphologic characteristics were unique to patients with incontinence., Conclusions: Our study suggests that focal adhesion architecture is decreased in urethral smooth muscle of patients with intrinsic sphincter deficiency.

Our objective was to use an alternative statistical approach to identify clinical and urodynamic predictors of prolonged catheterization following Burch colposuspension. Seventy women with genuine stress incontinence underwent Burch colposuspension with suprapubic catheter placement at Rush Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center from 1 July 1992 to 1 October 1993. Patient charts were retrospectively reviewed to extract pertinent variables from their history, examination and preoperative urodynamic evaluation. The day of suprapubic catheter removal was considered the end-point 'event' for the purposes of survival analysis. This statistical model allowed us to identify preoperative clinical parameters important in determining the percentage of patients requiring catheters as a function of time. The need for defining prolonged postoperative catheterization was eliminated. Aging (P=0.01), increasing maximal urethral pressures (P=0.02) and menopausal status (P=0.02) were important in determining the percentage of patients requiring catheters as a function of time. Data from our preoperative voiding studies were not predictive of prolonged catheterization following Burch colposuspension.

In this article, we have reviewed the scope of surgically induced damage to the lower urinary tract. Preventative and reparative techniques have been presented. As pelvic surgeons become more confident in their efforts to safeguard the urinary tract, the chance of an unrecognized injury causing morbidity will diminish.

One hundred consecutive neurologically normal women complaining of urinary incontinence underwent standing incremental retrograde medium-fill water cystometrograms on two different days followed by sitting and standing continuous retrograde medium-fill water urethrocystometry on a third visit between November 1987 and February 1989. Studies were done to assess the reproducibility, sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values of a simple cystometer. Standing incremental, retrograde cystometry was found to be relatively inexpensive, simple, reproducible, and sensitive. The two cystometrograms yielded similar results in 84% of the patients. The sensitivities were found to be 84.3 and 90.2% for the first and second cystometrograms, respectively. Using both cystometrograms together, we were able to detect detrusor instability with a sensitivity of 92.3% and to predict its absence with a negative predictive value of 86.7%. Detrusor instability was found in 64% of these patients. Based on these results, it was concluded that when multichannel urodynamics are not available in a high-prevalence population, standing retrograde incremental water cystometry done on two occasions may offer the physician an accurate alternative for the diagnosis of detrusor instability.

A number of techniques are available to detect detrusor overactivity. The test best suited to an individual investigator is a function of expertise, frequency of use, cost, availability, and ability to interpret the testing method. Even the simplest methods may be used effectively when the examiner understands the test and its limitations. Many investigators will find it useful to use more than one of these techniques. It is in the patient's best interest for her physician to maintain a reasonable index of suspicion and continue testing rather than submit her to inappropriate therapy based on an inadequate evaluation.