Potty Problems? New treatment available for urinary incontinence
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Potty Problems? New treatment available for urinary...
Urinary incontinence can be an embarrassing problem to have, which keeps many people from bringing it up to their doctor. But the truth is that it's very common, and one simple treatment can restore...Published: June 23, 2009
Urinary incontinence can be an embarrassing problem to have, which keeps many people from bringing it up to their doctor.
But the truth is that it’s very common, and one simple treatment can restore the quality of life that was once lost.
For 35 years, Lorene’s been serving up fresh seafood from the gulf at Holly Beach Seafood. This work involves a lot of manual labor - something that has taken its toll on Lorene’s body.
“Lifting crab boxes, shrimp, everything. 50 pounds of shrimp, 20 pounds of shrimp,“ Lorene Delino said.
About 15 years ago, Lorene began having her first issues with urinary stress incontinence.
Doctor William Groves says this condition is especially common in women who have had children or gone through menopause.
“Loss of urine or loss of control of urine with standing, coughing, sneezing, straining - any increase in abdominal pressure,“ describes Dr. William Groves, an OBGYN.
While one in four women over the age of 18 experience episodes of leaking urine, the topic is something many women feel too embarrassed to address.
“A lot of patients live with it, just thinking that it’s normal, thinking that maybe it happened to their sister or their mom and they don’t really want to bring it up,“ Dr. William Groves said.
When Lorene finally decided to talk to Dr. Groves about her problem, he told her that there was a simple fix that could return her to a normal routine.
“The surgical treatment is what we call a midurethral sling, placing a small synthetic piece of mesh under the urethra to support the urethra during straining and coughing and sneezing and exercises,“ he said.
The mesh allows tissue to grow around it and hold it in place.
Lorena had the outpatient procedure and says she can’t believe she waited so many years to have it corrected.
“Oh, it changed my quality of life. As far as myself, it changed everything. I feel good about myself. I can start exercising again, just everything,“ Lorena said.
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A reminder to women dealing with incontinence and considering their options. Briefly, options include
Option 1: Exercise/Physical Therapy to strenghten the pelvic floor. There are no risks associated with this option.
Option 2: A slightly more invasive approach involves inserting weighted cones or other tampon-like weights into your vagina and receiving instruction on how to perform pelvic floor contractions. This also can be performed in the privacy of your own home and there are no risks associated with this approach.
Option 4: See your OB/GYN or family practice physician to insert a pessary device within your vaginal canal. The pessary device is designed to help hold up or give support to your bladder or uterusThere are some disadvantages and risks associated with inserting a pessary device, namely changes to your vaginal canal, infection, and bleeding.
Option 5: Surgery to insert a mesh into your body, giving support to your bladder or uterus.
Many urologists that I have talked with have a strong opinion that an exercise-based program should always be a patient�s first course of action because of the risks associated with surgery. They have cited the risk of infection, the lack of long-term studies to show exactly how long the mesh will last, and the unknown of how many surgeries a women should expect throughout their lifetime to correct the same problem. As a physical therapist, I always recommend a non-invasive, exercise-based program first and a surgical procedure as a last resort due to the risks associated with any surgery.
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