Real-life data on long-term follow-up of patients successfully treated with percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation

BACKGROUND: The aim of this cross-sectional study is to evaluate the “real-life” data of patients following success- ful treatment with TS for overactive bladder syndrome (B) or non-obstructive voiding dysfunction () at a seven-year follow-up after the procedure. MTS: atients who were successfully treated with TS for B or between February 2008 and January 2009 were contacted for a telephonic interview seven years after the end of their TS stimulation protocol. atients who agreed to the interview were asked to complete a global response assessment (). atients in the B category completed the B short-form questionnaire Symptom Bother Scale (B-q SF) and the B ealth-elated Quality of ife Scale (B Q), and patients were evaluated using the nternational rostate Symptom Score – void- ing questions (v-SS). esults of both questionnaires were compared with those obtained seven years previously, at the time of the initial TS treatment. RESULTS: Seventeen patients were identified in our database. Sixteen agreed to the interview, but the remaining patient was unreachable and was therefore considered as lost at follow-up. Eight patients were classified into the OAB group, and eight were classified into the NOVD group. No patient reported a worsening condition after PTNS. Six of the eight patients (75%) in the B group gave positive responses in the . ll patients in the group gave positive responses in the . CCUSS: espite some limitations, this study shows that the majority of patients who responded to TS considered themselves still improved at a seven-year follow-up. Larger studies are needed to confirm our results, but our study has the novel advantage of showing data derived from “real life” over the longest follow-up yet considered in the literature.