The role of sacral neuromodulation in double incontinence

AIM: Urinary and faecal incontinence are common conditions that are frequently associated. When conservative treatments fail, sacral nerve modulation (SNM) is considered to be a first-line treatment for patients with urge urinary incontinence and for patients with faecal incontinence. This article aims to determine the effect of SNM on the treatment of double incontinence (i.e. urinary and faecal incontinence). METHOD: We searched for relevant articles in MEDLINE, PubMed and Embase, and for reviews in the Cochrane database. Articles were restricted to the English language. RESULTS: Only a few studies have studied the efficacy of SNM for double incontinence and in a limited number of patients. Between 30% and 100% of patients with double incontinence experience improvement in urinary and faecal incontinence at medium-term follow up. CONCLUSION: Further prospective trials are needed to determine which patients with combined problems will benefit from SNM at a long-term follow up.