Becoming incontinent is not an inevitable part of growing old! Newer techniques in
minimally invasive surgery have taken incontinence procedures which required
prolonged hospitalization and 6 weeks recovery to the out patient surgery centers. The
tension free mesh slings have become the standard and have a well studied long term
success unprecedented by the older techniques. Talk to your provider about treatment
options for urinary incontinence
The first step in determining which treatment option is best for you is diagnose which
type of urinary incontinence you are experiencing There are three main types of urinary
incontinence: stress(caused by coughing laughing, sneezing or running), urge
incontinence (key in the door, spontaneous urge, warm water, night leakage) or mixed.
The cystometric evaluation which involves inserting a catheter into the bladder and
slowly filling it while measuring the intra-bladder pressure and observing how the
bladder responds to being filled assists the doctor in diagnosing which form of
incontinence you are experiencing.
If stress incontinence is diagnosed, your doctor will discuss treatment options. There are
pelvic floor muscle strengthening exercises either with traditional kegel exercises or
weights that are inserted vaginally called kegal cones. Some patients benefit from a short
course of physical therapy. The surgical options include suprapubic midurethral tension
free vaginal tape (TVT) or the transobtorator tension free tape (TVOT).
If urge incontinence is diagnosed the treatments include medications to help the bladder
relax and bladder retraining.
If urge incontinence is diagnosed your doctor will determine/ discuss with you which
symptoms is predominant, urge or stress. You doctor with then discuss with you
treatment options.
Leakage of urine can be embarrassing but we hope that you will feel comfortable
discussing your symptoms with your provider, so we at South Denver Ob/Gyn, can help
you become dry again.
