Incontinence
Surgeries
Incontinence Surgeries
Treatment for urinary incontinence depends upon the cause. The same treatment does not work in all cases. Diagnostic tests and imaging is done to determine why the bladder and associated muscles are not controlling the flow of urine. Causes may be problems in the muscles or in the nerves that control them. Certain types of prior surgery that interfere with the urethra (the tube that allows urine to pass out of the body) may also result in incontinence.
Treatments for urinary incontinence include:
- Strengthening pelvic muscles: Exercises can strengthen the muscles around the urethra that hold urine back. You can also develop a schedule for going to the bathroom, gradually extending this as you regain urinary control.
- Medicines: Bladder spasms may result in a frequent urge to go to the bathroom. Certain medicines can relax your bladder and give you more control over when you urinate.
- Surgery: With surgery, bladder can be repositioned, providing support and restoring control over the sphincter muscles, which hold back urine. Different materials are used to provide support like either your own tissues or synthetic or animal-based materials. Minimally invasive tools can be used to resolve incontinence like cystoscope or transurethral probe. Cystoscopes are small, flexible tubes containing cameras and sometimes other tools. They allow us to view and treat the urethra and bladder without an incision. Using the cystoscope, we can inject medicine to relax the bladder (Botox®). Transurethral probes may be used for imaging procedures, such as ultrasounds, or to deliver radiofrequency energy that stimulates the bladder.
