Surgical Procedures for Urinary Incontinence in Women

Urinary incontinence is defined as the loss of control of the bladder. Though the condition can be mild, in some cases it can be severe enough to warrant surgery. Doctors will try to fix the condition, which is more common in women than men, with other methods before surgery, but if other therapies fail, there are various procedures available to help treat urinary incontinence.

Sling Procedures

• In these procedures, the surgeon will utilize either pieces of your body's tissues or synthetic tissue to make a sling that fits around the bladder neck, a muscle where the bladder connects with the urethra. The idea behind this procedure is the sling then works to keep the urethra sealed. In some forms of urinary incontinence, activities such as coughing and sneezing expels urine from the bladder. With the sling around it, urine will then stay in the bladder when that strain is put on the body. The type of sling depends on the severity and extent of the incontinence.

Bladder Neck Suspension

• This procedure works by adding support to the bladder and the urethra. Using sutures, the urethra is attached to the pelvic wall to prevent spillage during activities that cause accidents in people with urinary incontinence. The procedure is normally performed with the patient completely under anesthesia as it requires an incision in the abdomen. Though the procedure is short in duration, according to the Mayo Clinic recovery can take up to six weeks.

Complications

• Urological surgeries have the same inherent risks as regular surgery such as blood clots, infections and other organ damage. According to the American Urological Association, complications include injury to the bladder and the urethra. While injury to the urethra is quite rare, bladder injury occurs 5 percent of the time. Other complications include nerve entrapment and internal bleeding. Also, about 10 percent of the people who undergo bladder surgery will experience severe pain following the procedure.