History of Surgical Treatments for Female Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence (UI) can affect patients' quality of life negatively as UI is associated with significant social embarrassment, altered self-image, difficulties in intimate relationships, isolation, and hopelessness. The historical management strategies for addressing UI in women has incorporated various devices, medications, and surgeries. The evolution of surgery for UI spanned thousands of years to arrive at the current standards of surgical care, which is divided between management of stress UI or urge UI. This article discusses the evolution of UI treatments, with a focus on surgical management, while introducing some emerging technologies. (J GYNECOL SURG 38:197)