Treatment with Botox (botulinum-A toxin) can help women with urge incontinence, a type of urine leakage resulting from involuntary contractions of the bladder muscles, new research shows.

The treatment involves inserting a tube-like device called a cystoscope through the urinary opening into the bladder. Looking through the cystoscope, the doctor is able to inject the Botox directly into the hyperactive muscle, effectively eliminating the spasms.

In the present study, Dr. Michael K. Flynn and colleagues, from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, assessed the outcomes of seven women given a Botox injection for urge incontinence. The subjects were evaluated at several points up to 6 months after treatment.

The researchers’ findings appear in The Journal of Urology.

Aside from mild urinary tract infections in three patients, no side effects were noted in the study group, the authors state.

The incontinence and nearly all measures of urinary function improved significantly during follow-up, but after 6 month, most of the treated women seemed to be incontinent again - highlighting the fact that such therapy does not cure the condition.

“The results of this pilot study strongly suggest that (Botox) is a safe, effective therapy for the short-term management” of severe urge incontinence, the authors state.

Still, further studies are needed to confirm these findings and to address other issues, such as how often Botox should be given and at what dose.

SOURCE: Journal of Urology, December 2004.