Female Urinary Stress Incontinence
Female Urinary Stress Incontinence is treatable at all ages. For some women, the risk of public embarrassment keeps them from enjoying many activities with their family and friends, but with enhancements in medicine, there are solutions available. Talk to you doctor to determine what treatment is best for you.
Non-Surgical Options
Absorbant pads/diapers
Kegel Exercises - Named after Dr. Arnold Kegel, Kegel exercises involves exercising the pelvic floor muscle. In order to be effective, women must perform these exercises regularly to see a noticeable effect. The first step in a Kegel exercise is to find the right muscle. Some say imagine that you are sitting on a marble and want to pick it up with your vagina and to perform in sets of 10. In order to see a noticeable effect, you must perform the exercises regularly.
Pessaries – These custom-fit devices are plastic shapes that are worn in the vagina to support the pelvic organs.
Surgical Options
Rather than just “dealing with it,” you have the option of a minimally-invasive surgery called the Minitape® procedure. The decision to have surgery depends on your symptoms and if they impact your quality of life and should be discussed with your doctor.
If surgery is the recommended option, the Minitape® procedure may be the right solution for you. Unlike current commonly-used slings, Minitape® is made with a light-weight, elegant mesh designed by a urogynecologist specifically for the female anatomy. Many of the current mesh slings are over-engineered and have been made with a more rigid and dense mesh used for treating hernias, primarily in men. The Minitape® procedure restores a women’s anatomy in a less invasive way and leaves you comfortable and confident.
What happens during the Minitape® procedure?
Completed during a 10-30 minute outpatient visit, the doctor inserts a small mesh strip through the vagina, which works as support material under the urethra and attaches it up to connective tissue or ligaments. The mesh sits under the urethra like a hammock and a cough or sneeze moves the urethra down, it is pushed against the sling and the urethra is closed off preventing any unplanned urine loss. The procedure can be performed under local or general anesthesia so you can be asleep during the procedure.
What will my recovery be like?
After you are treated with Minitape®, you will be able to go home shortly after the procedure is completed. You overall recovery should be short and your daily activities should not be greatly changed. You may be told by your doctor to avoid heavy lifting and intercourse for a few weeks. You or your partner will not be able to feel the mesh inside of you.
How do I know if Minitape® is right for me?
Your doctor will be the best person to decide if this procedure is right for you, but is appropriate for many patients regardless of age. This procedure should not be performed on pregnant women or women who plan to get pregnant as the mesh tape will not stretch greatly.