ABSTRACT

Objectives:

To evaluate and compare the presence of underlying and subclinical diseases of the pelvis through a functional preoperative physical examination in patients undergoing urinary incontinence correction and presentation of a video with the hypertonic pelvic floor and chronic pelvic pain examination.

Materials and Methods:

Fifty-eight women presenting urinary incontinence were evaluated for superficial and deep pain using the visual analog scale and divided in 2 groups: With and without hypertonic pelvic floor, through electromyography.

Results:

The prevalence of hypertonic pelvic floor in incontinent women in our study was 17.2%. Women with hypertonic pelvic floor had an odds ratio 5.37x higher of referring pain (p=0.02) and 5.6x higher of referring deep pain (p=0.01) during physical examination. Patients with hypertonic pelvic floor were also significantly younger (p=0.02), with a median age of 8,5 years less (40.5 years) than patients without hypertonic pelvic floor (49 years). Women who underwent cesarean sections had a risk 5x lower of displaying hypertonic pelvic floor (p=0.03).

Conclusion:

Hypertonic pelvic floor and chronic pelvic pain can be identified in patients with urinary incontinence through standardized physical examination and treated preoperatively, minimizing the probability of being attributed to a complication of pelvic surgery.