Posterior tibial nerve stimulation in patients who have failed anticholinergic therapy: efficacy and time to response.

OBJECTIVES: : We sought to determine the efficacy of posterior tibial nerve stimulation in patients who had failed anticholinergic medications. A secondary outcome was to determine the time to response for different parameters of overactive bladder. STUDY DESIGN: : The medical records of all patients treated with posterior tibial nerve stimulation from 2000 to 2009 seen in a university urogynecology practice were abstracted. Patients underwent weekly treatments. Patients were asked about the 4 index symptoms at each weekly visit. Descriptive statistics were performed on the data set using SPSS 15. RESULTS: : A total of 141 patients were analyzed. Of these patients, 67.4% were satisfied with treatment results. The median week to improvement was 5 weeks for nocturia, 7 weeks for frequency, 6 weeks for urgency, and 6 weeks for urge incontinence. CONCLUSIONS: : Posterior tibial nerve stimulation is an effective treatment of overactive bladder in patients who have failed anticholinergic therapy. Most patients noted improvement by 6 weeks.