Aims: Lower urinary tract dysfunctions (LUTD) are very common and, importantly, affect patients' quality of life (QoL). LUTD can range from urinary retention to urgency incontinence and includes a variety of symptoms. Nerve stimulation (NS) is an accepted widespread treatment with documented success for LUTD and is used widely. The aim of this review is to report the results of the discussion about how to improve the outcomes of NS for LUTD treatment.
Methods: During its 2023 meeting in Bristol, the International Consultation on Incontinence Research Society discussed a literature review, and there was an expert consensus discussion focused on the emerging awareness of NS suitable for LUTD.
Results: The consensus discussed how to improve techniques and patients' selection in NS, and high-priority research questions were identified.
Conclusions: Technique improvement, device programming, and patient selection are the goals of the current approach to NS. The conditional nerve stimulation with minimally invasive wireless systems and tailored algorithms hold promise for improving NS for LUTD, particularly for patients with neurogenic bladder who represent the new extended population to be treated.
Keywords: lower urinary tract dysfunctions; multiple sclerosis; nonobstructive urinary retention; overactive bladder; pudendal nerve stimulation; sacral nerve stimulation; spinal cord injury; urinary incontinence.
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