Urinary Incontinence research lines

Research into the causes of the different disorders (urinary incontinence, anal incontinence, genital prolapse) is essential for establishing preventative strategies. The future with respect to pathologies that affect the female pelvic floor therefore focuses on two objectives: prevention and treatment.

Regarding prevention, although no studies have yet provided hard evidence of the long-term preventative effect, data show that pelvic floor muscle contraction exercises can prevent urinary incontinence and genital prolapse from developing after childbirth. With respect to anal incontinence, prevention is the key because women who suffer a tear in the anal sphincter during childbirth have a greater predisposition for anal incontinence.

In terms of treatment, there are currently effective methods for the different pelvic floor disorders, but they only treat the symptoms and do not address the causes of the problem. In other words, these treatments neither stop the condition from progressing nor do they cure an existing lesion.

Thus, regenerative medicine has emerged as a potential option to achieve these therapeutic objectives because it offers the possibility, by acting directly on the damaged tissues causing the disorder, of restoring normal function.

Over the past 10 years, the use of stem cells has offered a new route that can potentially repair damaged tissues. Nevertheless, further research in this field is required before these treatments can be applied to women with problems in the pelvic floor region.