Transvesical phenol injection of pelvic nerve plexuses in females with refractory urge incontinence.

A series of 28 female patients with urge incontinence refractory to other forms of treatment underwent a total of 40 transvesical injections of phenol into the pelvic nerve plexuses. Following primary phenol injection only 8 patients (29%) had a significant response to therapy and all relapsed during follow-up. Only 3 of 11 patients undergoing a second injection had a clinical response to this therapy and 1 developed a vesicovaginal fistula. This suggests that phenol injections have little place in the management of urge incontinence and it is unwise to proceed to 2 or more injections because of the risk of fistula.