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Urinary Stress Incontinence and Urgency in Women With EMSELLA

A Double-Blind, Sham Controlled Prospective Pilot Study of Urinary Stress Incontinence and Urgency in Women After 6 Treatments With HIFEM Technology (BTL EMSELLA)

Status
UNKNOWN
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03877640
Enrollment
21
Registered
2019-03-18
Start date
2019-01-11
Completion date
2024-06-30
Last updated
2023-10-10

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Stress Urinary Incontinence, Urge Incontinence

Keywords

incontinence, stress urgency incontinence, urge incontinence, EMSELLA

Brief summary

The purpose of this prospective study is to examine the safety and efficacy of high intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM) technology for the treatment of women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI), urge incontinence (UI) and mixed stress urinary and urge incontinence (MUI), looking at any potential sexual health benefits that may be concomitantly achieved from this treatment.

Detailed description

This is a blinded study to be conducted at San Diego Sexual Medicine in San Diego, CA. Participants meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria will receive one treatment cycle of active treatment or sham. The device will be equipped with 3 protocols in addition to the standard protocol, two of which are identical to the standard protocol (for active treatment) and one of which does not deliver HIFEM (for sham treatment). The active treatment arm consists of 6 treatments, 2 per week, with at least one day in between. Follow-up visits will occur at 4 weeks and 12 weeks after the last treatment. Unblinding will take place at the 12 week follow up visit, and subjects assigned to the sham arm will be crossed over to active treatment, beginning their first treatment on that day, completing 6 treatments and 2 follow up visits. Once unblinded the subject will be treated with the standard protocol of the device. After the informed consent is signed, and inclusion and exclusion criteria completed, participants will complete validated questionnaires and undergo a baseline physical therapy assessment of pelvic floor muscle strength.

Interventions

High intensity focused electromagnetic (HIFEM) technology induces deep pelvic floor muscle contractions designed to deliver the equivalent of 11,200 Kegel exercises over 28 minutes.

Sponsors

San Diego Sexual Medicine
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator)

Masking description

Three blinded protocols available on the device, so care provider will not know to which treatment subject is randomized. Active treatment is not blinded for use in open label portion of study.

Intervention model description

Active and sham arms 2:1 run parallel. Upon completion, sham patients repeat visits with open label treatment.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
21 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

1. Subject provides written informed consent and HIPAA authorization before any study procedures are conducted; 2. Subject is female; 3. Subject is aged 21-80 years; 4. Subject has a body mass index (BMI) \< 37 kg/m2; 5. Subject has stress urinary incontinence, urge incontinence, or mixed urinary incontinence as determined by the QUID; 6. Subject is currently sexually active and willing to continue sexual activity throughout the study; 7. Subject is willing to continue level of core exercise currently being performed or not performed during the study (e.g. gym, Pilates, yoga); 8. Subject is willing to maintain her current prescription and over the counter medications throughout the study without changing them; 9. Subject agrees to comply with the study procedures and visits.

Exclusion criteria

1. Subject has used the BTL EMSELLA device previously; 2. Subject has any significant pelvic organ prolapse; 3. Subject has clinically significant findings on physical examination; 4. Subject has any chronic medical condition (e.g. neurologic disorder) or psychologic disorder that the Principal Investigator feels makes her ineligible for the study; 5. Subject is unwilling to maintain current level of exercise throughout the study; 6. Subject has been diagnosed with overactive bladder or interstitial cystitis; 7. Subject experiences bladder pain or scores above 0 on the pain questions on the O'Leary/Sant Voiding and Pain Indices (ICSI/ICPI); 8. Subject experiences pain with sexual activity 9. Subject answers anything other than almost never or never or a few times on pain questions 17 or 18 of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) 10. Subject answers anything other than very low or none at all or low on pain questions 19 of the (FSFI) 11. Subject planning to have surgery during the study; 12. Subject has untreated malignancy; 13. Subject is pregnant, planning to get pregnant or within 3 months postpartum; 14. Subject has a pacemaker; 15. Subject has and implant or IUD containing metal (e.g. copper 7); 16. Subject has piercing between the waist and knees and is not willing to remove it before each treatment; 17. Subject has a history of substance abuse within 12 months prior, or consuming \> 14 alcoholic drinks per week; 18. Subject has received an investigational drug within 30 days prior to signing consent; 19. Subject has any condition or exhibits behavior that indicates to the Principal Investigator that the Subject is unlikely to be compliant with study procedures and visits.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
QUID (Questionnaire for Urinary Incontinence Diagnosis)At screen, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 18 weeks; for sham arm additionally at 20 weeks, 24 weeks, 32 weeksChange in Questionnaire for Urinary Incontinence Diagnosis (QUID) from pre-treatment to each follow up visit
Incidence of Treatment-Emergent Adverse EventsUp to 18 weeks for active arm; up to 32 weeks for sham armSerious adverse events and adverse events related to device will be collected to assess safety

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
FSFI (Female Sexual Function Index)At screen, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 18 weeks; for sham arm additionally at 20 weeks, 24 weeks, 32 weeksChange in total score of the Female Sexual Function Index from pre-treatment to follow up visits. Range is 2-36, with higher results representing better the outcome, and 26.55 and above signifying no sexual dysfunction
FSDS-DAO (Female Sexual Distress Score-Desire, Arousal, Orgasm)At screen, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 18 weeks; for sham arm additionally at 20 weeks, 24 weeks, 32 weeksChange in total score of the Female Sexual Distress Score-Desire, Arousal, Orgasm from pre-treatment to follow up visits. Range is from 0-60 with lower results representing the better outcome.
Modified Oxford Scale measuring pelvic floor strengthAt screen, 10 weeks, 18 weeks; for sham arm additionally at 24 weeks, 32 weeksChange in degree of force based on the modified Oxford scale measuring pelvic floor muscle strength from pre-treatment to follow up visits. Scale is a single recording from 0 (lack of muscle response) to 5 (strong contraction, firm compression) with higher results representing the better the outcome.
ISCI (Interstitial Cystitis Symptoms Index )/ICPI (Interstitial Cystitis Problem Index)At screen, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 18 weeks; for sham arm additionally at 20 weeks, 24 weeks, 32 weeksChange in total score of the ICSI/ICPI Questionnaire from pre-treatment to follow up visits. Range is 0-35, with lower results representing the better the outcome.
FSFI (Female Sexual Function Index) Orgasm DomainAt screen, 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 10 weeks, 18 weeks; for sham arm additionally at 20 weeks, 24 weeks, 32 weeksChange in Orgasm Domain of the Female Sexual Function Index from pre-treatment to follow up visits. Range is 0-6 with higher the results representing better outcome

Other

MeasureTime frameDescription
PGI-I (Patient global impression of improvement)At 18 weeks; for sham arm additionally at 32 weeksPatient global impression of improvement, range 2-14, with higher results representing the better outcome

Countries

United States

Contacts

Primary ContactClinical Research Manager
information@sdsm.info619-265-8865
Backup ContactWendy Ramirez, AB
wramirez@sdsm.info6192658865

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026