Services

• Cryotherapy
• Kidney Stones
• Laser Treatments
• Prostate Cancer
• Vasectomy
• Stress Urinary Incontenence
• Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) / Enlarged Prostate

Stress Urinary Incontenence

Urinary incontinence is a common quality of life problem seen in women. Most women experience urinary incontinence for several years before they come forward and speak to their physicians.  Some women consider it a part of aging but urinary incontinence is not considered normal at any age.

Not only is urinary incontinence a quality of life issue, it also may lead to a variety of health concerns.  Women may develop skin infections and irritations in the genital region from chronic urine contact.  There may be associated urinary tract infections.  Furthermore, women may limit their physical and social activities in order to avoid accidental urine loss in public.

As this problem is so pervasive, it is important that women know that there are multiple treatment options.  The first step, however, is to determine the type of incontinence present.

One of the most common types of urinary incontinence in women is stress incontinence.  Women with this type of incontinence have loss of urine that occurs with coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising, and position changes.  In contrast, women with urge incontinence suffer from spontaneous urine loss with a strong urge feeling and the need to urinate frequently during the day or night.  This type of incontinence is caused by inappropriate bladder contractions.  Women can have both stress and urge incontinence and this is termed mixed incontinence.  Other women may have damage to the nerves that control bladder function so that the bladder does not empty properly.  This results in overflow incontinence.  These women are unable to sense bladder fullness and they may have abnormal urinary flow.

Before treatment can be initiated, a complete history must be taken including all the bladder symptoms.  You may be asked to record a diary of your bladder function as well as your fluid intake.  Further evaluation might involve laboratory tests of the urine to identify a bladder infection.  Depending on the initial evaluation, you may need further testing including X-rays, ultrasound, or cystoscopy.  You may also need urodynamic studies that evaluate urinary function and voiding.  These tests will allow your physician to confirm the reason for the urinary incontinence.

There are several treatment options for stress urinary incontinence, both surgical and non-surgical.  One of the first modalities is modifying fluid intake and voiding habits.  For many women who drink an excessive amount of fluid, it may be appropriate to decrease intake during the day.  A timed voiding pattern for women who void infrequently may eliminate leakage that occurs mainly with a very full bladder.  Minimizing caffeine intake is also helpful, as caffeine is an irritant to the bladder causing it to work overtime. Medications may also be used to treat urinary incontinence. 

If non-surgical treatments have not been successful, stress urinary incontinence can be treated with surgery.  These surgeries are usually performed by a urologist, gynecologist, or a urogynecologist.  There are several different types of surgeries that can be performed, depending on the status of the patient.

Stress urinary incontinence is extremely common in women.  Treatment of incontinence begins with a thorough evaluation of the problem.  Once the cause is discovered, therapy can be initiated.  Fortunately, there are many successful treatment options that include medication, pelvic floor muscle exercises, and surgery.