Background: Prevailing theories and treatments of female stress urinary incontinence are built on 120 years of evolution in understanding the structure and function of the female bladder neck and urethra and of considering why treatments failed. In our management of patients, it is important to understand and appreciate how our management of female stress urinary incontinence has evolved and which treatments have prevailed as we advance our knowledge for future treatments.
Aims: The purpose of this review is to describe how advances in technology impacted and shaped prevailing theories or understanding of the pathophysiology of stress urinary incontinence and influences our treatment approach.