Surgical Treatment and Outcomes for the Management of Stress Urinary Incontinence in the Older Woman

Purpose of Review Women aged 65 years and older comprise a growing portion of the surgical population and present unique age-related concerns that impact intervention planning and outcomes. This cohort of women is known to have increased urinary incontinence symptoms that greatly impact their quality of life. Reviewing surgical interventions and outcomes in older woman may enhance patient counseling in an effort to optimize intervention outcomes and patient expectations. Recent Findings Increasing literature exists that analyze age-related outcomes for stress urinary incontinence interventions in older women. Though some outcome data reveal increased risk of de novo urinary urgency, urinary tract infections, and voiding dysfunction, continence success rates and improvement in quality of life are overall similar compared to younger women. Summary Understanding age-related outcomes of stress urinary incontinence surgery in an increasing population of older women is essential to the prevention of withholding potentially quality-of-life altering interventions.