ABSTRACT Objectives To determine the differences between voiding symptoms obtained by open anamnesis (VS-Open) versus voiding symptoms obtained by directed anamnesis (VS-Directed) to predict voiding dysfunction in women. Materials and Methods Retrospective study of women with prior anti-incontinence surgery evaluated during 5 years. In a standardized clinical history taking, each patient was asked to answer question number five of the UDI-6 questionnaire ("Do you experience any difficulty emptying your bladder?"). If the answer was positive, the following voiding symptoms spontaneously described by the patient were documented: slow urine stream, straining to void, intermittent stream and feeling of incomplete bladder emptying, which were considered VS-Open. If the answer to this question was negative or if the patient had not reported the four voiding symptoms, she was asked in a directed manner about the presence of each o Ninety-one women are analyzed. Eighteen patients presented voiding dysfunction (19.8%), There was a statistical association between voiding dysfunction and the presence of any VS-Open (p = 0.037) and straining to void obtained by open anamnesis (p = 0.013). Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio, respectively, were 44.4% and 27.8%, 80.8% and 94.5%, 36.3% and 55.6%, 85.5% and 84.1%, 2.324 and 5.129, and 0.686 and 0.764. There was no statistical association between voiding dysfunction and VS-Directed. Conclusions VS-Open may predict better voiding dysfunction than VS-Directed in women.