Funding outcome

Background: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a leakage of urine with cough, laugh and sneeze. It is very common and it has a profound impact on women's daily function and quality of life. There are multiple non-surgical or surgical treatment options for SUI. Generally, the surgical options aim to provide added support to the bladder outlet, called the urethra, in order to prevent leakage of urine. These procedures are invasive, carry a number of potential complications, and they tend to fail over time. Bulkamid® (polyacrylamide hydrogel) is a synthetic product that is injected around the urethra as another surgical treatment option. It is a day surgery procedure that can be performed under sedation, instead of general anesthetic. Bulkamid is known to be effective in treating SUI, with a much lower risk of associated complications. Thus, it is an attractive option for women who cannot tolerate an invasive procedure, or women who wish to minimize the risks of an incontinence procedure. Objectives: To determine the failure rate and time to failure for Bulkamid periurethral injections over the long term. Secondarily, we aim to study the risk factors associated with failure of the procedure. Methods: We will perform chart reviews in all patients who have undergone periurethral bulking with Bulkamid for SUI at the Lois Hole Hospital for Women, Royal Alexandra Hospital, and Kaye Edmonton Clinic in Edmonton, Alberta from January 1, 2014 until December 31, 2019. Data will be analyzed to determine if treatment with Bulkamid is effective, and if not, when the treatment fails, and what are the factors associated with the failure. Expected outcomes/benefits of the research: The data collected will enable us to better understand the role that Bulkamid plays in the management of SUI. We will be able to recognize which risk factors are associated with Bulkamid treatment failure, which will provide insight into prognostication of patients with SUI.