Expectations of Stress Urinary Incontinence Surgery in Patients With Mixed Urinary Incontinence

Mixed urinary incontinence is estimated to affect 30% of all women who have urinary incontinence, and it has been shown to be more bothersome to women than pure stress incontinence. Given the degree of bother, many women will undergo surgical correction for incontinence. Patients have high expectations about the success of these interventions. Understanding mixed incontinence and the effects of our interventions can help guide therapeutic choices and manage patients’ expectations.Key words: Urodynamics, Mixed urinary incontinence, Sling, Anti-incontinence surgery, Urgency incontinenceIt has been estimated that approximately 30% of women with urinary incontinence have mixed urinary incontinence (MUI). Degree of bother is higher among women with MUI compared with those who have pure stress urinary incontinence (SUI).¹ MUI can be a very challenging and costly condition to treat.^2,3 Patients with MUI are often offered conservative therapy such as physical therapy, weight-loss strategies, and behavioral modification. Some patients also benefit from treatments aimed directly at urgency, frequency, and urgency incontinence (overactive bladder), which currently include pharmacologic therapy (antimuscarinic or β-3 agonists), chemodenervation (botulinum toxin), or neuromodulation (sacral or posterior tibial nerves).⁴ However, many patients with MUI progress to surgical therapies for treatment of SUI. This article reviews the literature available that can help clinicians manage expectations of SUI surgeries on patients with MUI.