Long-term results of Ingelman-Sundberg denervation procedure for urge incontinence refractory to medical therapy

Purpose: Urge incontinence refractory to anticholinergic medication and behavioral techniques is a therapeutic challenge. We evaluated the durability of the modified Ingelman-Sundberg detrusor denervation procedure as minimally invasive surgical therapy for intractable urge incontinence. Materials and Methods: Patients presenting with severe urge incontinence unresponsive to medical and/or behavioral therapy were injected subtrigonally with 10 ml. 0.25% bupivacaine. The patients were contacted 24 hours later to determine whether they experienced a decrease in urgency and urge incontinent episodes. The 28 patients with temporary resolution of symptoms were offered operative management. All patients were evaluated with history, physical examination and fluoroscopic urodynamics. The procedure consists of transvaginal dissection of the perivesical fascia from the area of the trigone, including sharp division of the terminal branches of the pelvic nerve. Results: A total of 28 patients 28 to 83 years old (mean age 54.6) underwent the Ingelman-Sundberg procedure from April 1993 to September 1997. All patients presented with a history of urge incontinence, 10 reported concomitant stress incontinence and 10 had documented unstable detrusor contractions on urodynamic evaluation. Needle suspension and the pubovaginal sling procedure were performed with the Ingelman-Sundberg procedure in 1 case each. Mean followup was 44.1 months (range 14 to 67). Of the patients 15 (54%) achieved the complete durable resolution of urge incontinence, 4 (14%) were improved and 9 (32%) were unchanged. Conclusions: Ingelman-Sundberg bladder denervation resulted in a 68% long-term cure or improved rate in a difficult patient population, namely those with intractable urge incontinence. This brief, minimally invasive procedure is an excellent alternative to more aggressive surgical options.