Intravesical electromotive drug administration

"Iontophoresis" is the common term used to define the active transport of ionic molecules across biologic tissues under the influence of an electric field. The term "electro-osmosis" defines the subsequent transport of the solvent. The term "electrophoresis" indicates the transport of a solution and a solute, by means of an electric current, independently of the electric charge of the solute. The three terms: iontophoresis, electroosmosis and electrophoresis are now usually included in the following few words: "Electromotive Drug Administration" (EMDA), and indicate the phenomena involved in drug transport across the biologic membranes, with the application of an electric current. In urology, EMDA has been used in different fields of application, as uro-oncology, neuro-urology, andrology and infective urological diseases. All the studies conducted, showed that EMDA is more effective than intravesical passive drug diffusion, without inducing any local or systemic side-effects. The basic premises of EMDA, as a greater knowledge of physical and chemical properties of the bladder wall and a more comprehensive knowledge of the drug employed, allow us to perform a non-empiric intravesical treatment. Repeatability of the results is one of the major concerns, which makes this methodology a really scientific treatment modality.