Advancements in minimally invasive treatments for female stress urinary incontinence: radiofrequency and bulking agents.

Continuous advancements in materials technology have provided the possibility that multiple new urethral bulking agents will be available soon. Experience continues to accrue in clinical trials for urethral bulking with these agents. Parallel use for the indication of pediatric vesicourethral reflux also has provided evidence of biologic activity related to these compounds. All of the agents closest to complete analysis are synthetic and represent a variety of material types and characteristics. As these materials evolve, understanding of the preferential injection technique is being gained. Delivery methods and sites may prove to alter the biologic activity of these compounds substantially. Emphasis on other minimally invasive options for the surgical treatment of stress incontinence also has resulted in the development of radiofrequency vesicourethral suspension. Improved understanding of thermal application to tissue, acute and chronic tissue response to this application, and accumulating human experience with this method of therapy has provided an acceptable tolerability profile for this therapy. This profile may provide application of this method of therapy to an in-office treatment setting, precluding hospitalization and substantially decreasing convalescence times.