Study design, materials and methods
This cross-sectional study analyzed prospectively collected data from women with SUI evaluated between January 2010 and December 2020, and men with SUI following radical prostatectomy, recruited between March 2010 and November 2016. SUI severity was assessed using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire–Short Form (ICIQ-SF) and 1-hour pad test was used to objectively measure urinary loss. QoL was evaluated using the World Health Organization Quality of Life–Brief (WHOQOL-bref). Assessments were performed at baseline and in 3, 6 and 12 months after surgical treatment.
Results
A total of 58 participants, including 35 women and 23 men diagnosed with SUI. The women had a mean age of 60.7 years (± 9.54), while the men had a mean age of 66.2 years (± 8.05), with a significant difference (p = 0.030). At baseline, men presented higher scores in the physical and environmental domains of QoL. However, women demonstrated greater improvements over time. In the psychological domain, both groups improved, with initially higher scores in men. Social relationships scores were similar at baseline, but women surpassed men at 6 months. In the overall QoL score, women showed greater gains after treatment.
Interpretation of results
Both groups exhibited a significant reduction in urinary leakage as measured by the 1-hour pad test and the ICIQ-SF scores improved in both sexes; however, women achieved a greater reduction in symptom severity, reaching near-zero scores at 6 months, while men maintained higher residual scores.