Incontinence Special Treatments

Incontinence treatment by lifestyle changes and medication does not produce any result. Then there are additional treatments available to combat incontinence.

Pessary is a plastic ring, similar to a contraceptive diaphragm that is worn in the vagina. It helps to support the walls of the vagina, lifting the bladder and the nearby urethra, leading to reduced or prevent stress leakage. Many women use a pessary only during exercise and others wear it all the time to reduce stress leakage. If using a pessary, should see the doctor regularly to check for any scrapes in the vagina that can result by the use of the device.

Small electrical pulse stimulation of the nerves that control the bladder can improve the symptoms of urgency, frequency, and urge incontinence, as well as bladder emptying problems. This treatment is usually suggested to patients who cannot tolerate or do not benefited from medications. Nerve stimulation is started using a devise outside the body and electrodes are implanted under the skin, if the treatment produces required results. Then a permanent device can be implanted to deliver stimulations to the nerves in the back, much similar to a pacemaker. The electrodes are placed in the lower back through a simple surgical procedure.

If above said all treatment fails, doctors may suggest surgery. Surgery helps only stress incontinence and not for urge incontinence. Many surgical options have high rates of success.

Stress incontinence problems are mostly caused by the bladder neck dropping toward the vagina. To correct this problem, the bladder neck or urethra is raised and supported it with a ribbon sling or web of strings attached to a muscle or bone. The sling helps to holds up the bottom of the bladder and top of the urethra to stop leakage.

Nerve damage may stop the bladder to empty completely and might cause urine leak called overflow incontinence. This might be treated by the use a catheter to empty the bladder. A catheter is a thin tube that is inserted through the urethra into the bladder to drain urine. Catheter can be used rarely, few times a day, or always. If used all the time, it will drain urine from the bladder into a collection bag, which can be hanged near leg. Need to be careful because of possible infections.