Dysesthetic vulvodynia. Long-term follow-up after treatment with surface electromyography-assisted pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the long-term follow-up status of dysesthetic vulvodynia patients who were asymptomatic at the termination of treatment using surface electromyography (sEMG)-assisted pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation. STUDY DESIGN: A chart review of the years 1994-1996 identified 62 patients with a diagnosis of dysesthetic vulvodynia on initial evaluation and who were asymptomatic at the termination of treatment. Forty-three of these patients responded to a survey requesting information on their pain, maintenance activities and treatments, daily functioning and sexual status since treatment termination. RESULTS: Thirty-eight of the 43 patients (88.4%) reported experiencing no vulvar pain since completion of treatment. Three patients reported a single episode of pain, and two patients reported two episodes each. All five of these patients reported the absence of any vulvar pain for a mean period of 19.8 months prior to completion of the survey. One hundred percent of the 43 dysesthetic vulvodynia patients studied reported being pain free a mean of 39.5 months after successful treatment termination. No vulvar pain-related treatments or significant restrictions on daily activities were reported. All patients reported sexual interest, pleasure and activity. CONCLUSION: Surface electromyography-assisted pelvic floor muscle rehabilitation is an effective and long-term cure for dysesthetic vulvodynia.