The Facts about Bladder Sling Surgery Thousands of women suffer from stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The embarrassment of leaking urine usually leads many to a gynecologist for suggested treatment. A trained professional can offer options that will repair the problem, but at what cost? Consider the facts before agreeing to any treatment that could cause more harm than good.
What Causes SUI? In women, child birth is a major contributing factor to the weakening of muscles and tissues that support the bladder. There may also be nerve damage from the impact of delivery. Contributing factors include intense exercise, constant coughing from smoking, intake of caffeine and obesity. A hysterectomy can often effect the bladder and urethra, as can routine aging.
Treatment Options Depending on your physician and the severity of the damage, one or more treatment options may be presented to you. Natural non-surgical recommendations such as drinking less coffee, quit smoking and losing weight are ways to reduce the urine leakage. Pelvic muscle exercises can also help strengthen the weakened muscles. Another non-surgical technique can be performed by a physician through injections. Materials are inserted around the bladder neck to tighten and strengthen the opening. While this synthetic treatment can aid in the performance of bladder control, seldom does it repair the problem completely. The bladder sling surgery is an outpatient procedure where a synthetic mesh is placed under the urethra to support the weight and pressure. It also benefits the neck of the bladder, keeping both firm and stopping leakage. Human tissue can also be used in the place of foreign synthetic mesh, but the procedure and healing time is more intense.