A new Dutch survey suggests that surgery might be a better option than pelvic muscle strengthening for stress incontinence. The comparison is thought to be the first to directly compare the two alternative therapies.

The Dutch researchers discovered that nearly 91% of the women who had surgery (midurethral-sling) reported an improvement which was significantly higher than the 64% who used pelvic floor exercises.

"The prevalence of stress urinary incontinence -- leakage on physical exercise, laughing, coughing -- is high, and the impact on daily life can be substantial," said study lead author Dr. Julien Labrie, a gynecology resident at the University Medical Center Utrecht, in the Netherlands.

A summary of the report can be read in the Sept 19th issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.