Study findings on incontinence are outlined in reports from University of Pittsburgh, Medical Department.

"The purpose of this study was to describe national trends in surgery for female stress urinary incontinence (SUI). We used data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey, a federal dataset sampling patient discharges from US inpatient hospitals," investigators in the United States report (see also Incontinence).

"We analyzed patient and hospital demographics and International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnostic and procedures codes for 1979-2004. Age-adjusted rates per 1000 women were calculated with 1990 US Census population data. The number of women who have undergone SUI surgery each year increased from 48,345 in 1979 to 103,467 in 2004. In women >= 52 years old, the age-adjusted rate more than doubled from 0.64-1.60 procedures per 1000 women; in women

The researchers concluded: "A national ambulatory surgical database and a specific code for midurethral sling are needed to capture these important data."

Oliphant and colleagues published their study in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Trends in stress urinary incontinence inpatient procedures in the United States, 1979-2004. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2009;200(5):E1).

For additional information, contact S.S. Oliphant, University of Pittsburgh, School Medical, Dept. of Obstetrics Gynecology & Reproductive Science, Division Urogynecol, Magee Women's Hospital, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.

The publisher of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology can be contacted at: Mosby-Elsevier, 360 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010-1710, USA.

Keywords: United ...