Objectives: To evaluate the quality of life of patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) operated in the Department of Urology at the Complejo Hospitalario Universitario in Albacete (CHUA).
Methods: Between November 2001 and December 2005, 126 patients with SUI have completed a questionnaire in our centre, before and after undergoing surgery with sling techniques. The questionnaire was the King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ), which is a specific instrument for the measurement of quality of life in patients with urinary incontinence.
Results: Mean patient's age was 57.09 years (DE: 9.57). Twelve women (9.5%) had history of previous urinary incontinence surgery. Mean urinary incontinence evolution time was 114.48 months, with a median of 96 months. 38 patients (30.2%) did not present cystocele, 61 (48.4%) presented grade III cystocele, 25 (19.8%) grade II, and 2 (1.6%) grade I. Before surgery, the scale with best score was Personal relationships, with a mean score of 26.8, whereas the scale with worst scores was Impact of urinary incontinence, with a mean score of 82.96. All operations performed consisted in various techniques of transvaginal slings, except one case (0.8%) in which the Kelly technique was performed. Impact of urinary incontinence was the scale with a greater number of patients improving after surgery; 82.9% of the patients (101 cases) gave a better score. The scales showing greater differences of the mean value comparing before/after surgery were impact of urinary incontinence, limitation on the daily life activity, and limitation on social activity. Personal relationships and General health were the two with the smallest improvements.
Conclusions: Surgery demonstrated to improve the symptoms secondary to this disease, therefore, it results in an improvement of the quality of life that is evident in all scales of the questionnaire, mainly in the impact of urinary incontinence, limitations on physical activity, limitations on daily life, and limitation on social activity scales.