Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Sexual functioning in patients with lower urinary tract dysfunction improves after percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 18, pages 470–475 (2006)Cite this article

A Corrigendum to this article was published on 01 November 2006

Abstract

In this study, we evaluated the effect of lower urinary tract dysfunction and its neuromodulative therapy on sexual functioning. We studied 121 patients with an overactive bladder (OAB) (N=83), chronic pelvic pain (N=23) and nonobstructive retention (N=15), which were treated with neuromodulation (i.e. percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation, PTNS). To obtain information on their sexual function, a self-administered standardized questionnaire was filled out before therapy as well as after 12 weeks of treatment. Before therapy, different aspects of sexual life were considered not normal in 25.3–45.6% of the cases. This improved significantly after treatment. Patients most likely to benefit were women, patients with an OAB and subjective responders. The aspects of sexual life which mostly improved were overall satisfaction, libido and the frequency of sexual activities. Sexual dysfunction is observed in a lot of patients with lower urinary tract disorders and may improve on successful therapy for the latter.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Shaw C . A systematic review of the literature on the prevalence of sexual impairment in women with urinary incontinence and the prevalence of urinary leakage during sexual activity. Eur Urol 2002; 42: 432–440.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Salonia A, Zanni G, Nappi RE, Briganti A, Dehò F, Fabbri F et al. Sexual dysfunction is common in women with lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary incontinence: results of a cross-sectional study. Eur Urol 2004; 45: 642–648.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. van Balken MR, Vandoninck V, Gisolf KW, Vergunst H, Kiemeney LA, Debruyne FM et al. Posterior tibial nerve stimulation as neuromodulative treatment of lower urinary tract dysfunction. J Urol 2001; 166: 914–918.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Vandoninck V, van Balken MR, Agro EF, Petta F, Caltagirone C, Heesakkers JP et al. Posterior tibial nerve stimulation in the treatment of urge incontinence. Neurourol Urodyn 2003; 22: 17–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Vandonick V, van Balken MR, Agro EF, Petta F, Micali F, Heesakkers JP et al. Posterior tibial nerve stimulation in the treatment of idiopathic nonobstructive voiding dysfunction. Urology 2003; 61: 567–572.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. van Balken MR, Vandonick V, Messelink BJ, Vergunst H, Heesakkers JP, Debruyne FM et al. Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation as neuromodulative treatment of chronic pelvic pain. Eur Urol 2003; 43: 158–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Stoller ML . Afferent nerve stimulation for pelvic floor dysfunction (Abstract 62). Eur Urol 1999; 35 (Suppl 2): 16.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Govier FE, Litwiller S, Nitti V, Kreder Jr KJ, Rosenblatt P . Percutaneous afferent neuromodulation for the refractory overactive bladder: results of a multicenter study. J Urol 2001; 165: 1193–1198.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Ware JE, Sherbourne CD . The MOS 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36). I. Conceptual framework and item selection. Med Care 1992; 30: 473–483.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. van der Kloot WA, Oostendorp RA, van der MJ, van den HJ . The Dutch version of the McGill pain questionnaire: a reliable pain questionnaire. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 1995; 139: 669–673.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Wagner TH, Patrick DL, Bavendam TG, Martin ML, Buesching DP . Quality of life of persons with urinary incontinence: development of a new measure. Urology 1996; 47: 67–71.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Vroege JA . Negen vragen over het seksueel functioneren (NSF). Samenstelling van een korte vragenlijst voor gebruik in farmacologische studies. vakgroep psychiatrie, Rijksuniversiteit Leiden: Leiden, 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Francken AB, van de Wiel HBM, van Driel MF, Weijmar Schultz WCM . What importance do women attibute to the size of the penis? Eur Urol 2002; 42: 426–431.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Yip S, Chan A, Pang S, Leung P, Tang C, Shek D et al. The impact of urodynamic stress incontinence and detrusor overactivity on marital relationship and sexual function. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003; 188: 1244–1248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Hansen BL . Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and sexual function in both sexes. Eur Urol 2004; 46: 229–234.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank JJ Bade, MD, PhD, Bernhoven Hospital, Oss; AF Bierkens, MD, PhD, Ruwaard van Putten Hospital, Spijkenisse; KPJ Delaere, MD, PhD, Atrium Medical Center, Heerlen; KVH Gisolf, MD, PhD, at that time University Medical Center, Utrecht; BC Knipscheer, MD, at that time Jeroen Bosch Hospital, ‘s Hertogenbosch and V Vardoninck, at that time University Medical Center, St Radboud, Nijmegen, for participating in this study and collecting data. Furthermore, the help on English editing by MThJ van Balken-van Dijk and statistical analysis by I van Rooij, Rijnstate Hospital Arnhem, is well appreciated.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rijnstate Hospital, Arnhem, The Netherlands

    M R van Balken

  2. Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    H Verguns

  3. Free University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    B L H Bemelmans

Authors
  1. M R van Balken
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H Verguns
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B L H Bemelmans
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M R van Balken.

Appendix A

Appendix A

Nine Questions Regarding Sexual Functioning (NSF-9)

Please read the questions carefully. After you have done so, please select the answer that best describes your situation. Do not choose more than one answer for every question

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

van Balken, M., Verguns, H. & Bemelmans, B. Sexual functioning in patients with lower urinary tract dysfunction improves after percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation. Int J Impot Res 18, 470–475 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3901457

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3901457

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links