Current aspects of the quality of life of female patients with stress urinary incontinence before surgical treatment

Introduction. Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common condition among women, particularly in older age groups, significantly affecting quality of life. The main treatment for SUI is sling surgeries, which substantially improve patients’ outcomes. However, standardized recommendations for choosing quality-of-life questionnaires before and after treatment are lacking. Materials and methods. The study involved patients with SUI who were admitted for surgical treatment at the Saint-Petersburg State University Hospital. The patients completed the SF-36, P-QoL, PFDI-20, ICIQ-SF, PISQ-12, and HADS questionnaires. Data from 300 women were analyzed, divided into groups with and without overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms. Results. The average total score on the PFDI-20 questionnaire was 79,5 ±40,6 in SUI patients. As expected, the subscale for urinary dysfunction contributed the most, but contributions from defecation issues and prolapse symptoms were also noted. In the OAB group, question 16 contributed 21,3%, and question 17 contributed 30,5% to the total UDI-6 score. In the non-OAB group, question 17 contributed 56% to the total UDI-6 score (range 0-100%). OAB patients had lower physical and mental health scores on the SF-36 and exhibited more pronounced pelvic floor dysfunction symptoms and greater incontinence severity. They also had higher anxiety and depression scores on the HADS scale. The P-QoL questionnaire demonstrated high reliability and validity for assessing quality of life in SUI patients. Conclusion. The study confirmed that SUI patients experience a significant decline in quality of life, especially when combined with OAB. The P-QoL questionnaire is recommended for clinical practice, as well as for preoperative screening, in combination with PFDI-20, ICIQ-SF, and HADS.