The effectiveness of a digital pelvic floor training program in thetreatment of urinary incontinence – a real-world evaluation (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Background: Many women experience urinary incontinence (UI) during andafter pregnancy due to pelvic floor weakness. First-line therapy is conservative treatment, which nowadays can be facilitated by using digitalsolutions. OBJECTIVE The aim ofthe present study was to investigate the efficacy and effectiveness of pelvinain patients with existing UI. METHODS Methods: In the present observational study we analyzed the effectivenessof pelvina, a certified digital pelvic floor training course, in reducing UI symptoms by regularly applying “The Questionnaire for Urinary Incontinence Diagnosis” (QUID) and furthermore examining quality of life (QoL) by conducting the SF-6D. RESULTS Results: In this prospective study, 373 patients with a median age of 36 years (IQR 33 - 47 years) were included. At baseline the patients had a median QUID of 11 (IQR 11 - 15). During the course, incontinence improved significantly to a QUID of 5 (IQR 2 – 11; p<0.001). Additionally, the patients had also shown a significant impairment in their QoL at baseline with a value of 19 (IQR 16 - 22) in SF-6D. After completing the course, the QoL had risen to 24 (IQR 20 - 26). CONCLUSIONS Conclusion: Use of the certified digital pelvic floor course pelvinasignificantly reduces existing UI due to pelvic floor weakness over the timespan of the course. At the same time QoL is significantly improved. CLINICALTRIAL The present study was approved by the ethics committee of the Heidelberg University Hospital (S-392/2019)

Sciatic Hernia Mimicking Perianal Abscess in a Cirrhotic Patient

Abdominal hernias are very frequent in cirrhotic patients with ascites. The hernias usually present as umbilical, inguinal, incisional, or femoral. However, these patients can also develop uncommon hernias such as pelvic hernias because of pelvic floor weakness and high abdominal pressure due to ascites. We present the first case of a cirrhotic patient with ascites that developed a giant sciatic hernia mimicking a perianal abscess.