Bladder Control Surgery: The Facts
This article will go over some of the basic facts about bladder control surgery and the different types of bladder control surgery and options available for patience.First of all, make sure to do everything your doctor asks of you prior to surgery.
Some of the more common bladder control surgeries include the following - The Sling Procedure: Sure it sounds like something that you might need for a broken arm or sprained wrist, but this is a very popular procedure that should be considered if the doctor suggests it. In the procedure, some abdominal tissue is removed and placed under the urethra. If the abdominal tissue is not used, the surgeon may use synthetic material. The strip actually acts like a hammock, hence the word "sling" compressing the urethra to prevent incontinence. In many cases this will cure incontinence.
Bulking Material Injection: This procedure includes injecting bulking materials, such as cow-derived collagen, carbon particle beads or synthetic sugars and this is placed next to the urethra or urinary sphincter. This may sound a bit painful, but what it actually does is tighten the sphincter seal by bulking surrounding tissue. It only takes about two to three minutes to perform as well, which is a good thing in the surgery arena.
Sacral Nerve Stimulator: A sacral nerve stimulator is a small device that acts on nerves that control the bladder and pelvic floor contractions. This device is somewhat like a pacemaker and is implanted under the skin of the abdomen. The device can cause infection but it can also be removed which could be a plus.
Artificial Urinary Sphincter: This is an artificial sphincter that helps men specifically. It is for men who have a weakened urinary sphincter and this treatment is for prostate cancer patience or enlarged prostate glands. It is rarely used on women. To urinate, the patient who has this installed would press a valve implanted under the skin that causes the ring to deflate, allowing urine from the bladder to be released. Possible malfunctions may occur, but this is very rare.
Bladder Neck Suspension: This surgery includes a 3 to 5 inch incision in the lower abdomen. Via the incision, a surgeon will stitch tissue near the bladder neck. This surgery is used to bolster the urethra and bladder neck so they do not sag. This surgery is done with anesthesia and can take up to an hour, which doesn’t sound so bad as far as surgeries are concerned. Recover on the other hand can take as long as six weeks and a catheter will be needed until full recovery.
Some of this information came from: Hilary Basile who is a writer for MyGuidesUSA.com