Life Without Incontinence
YOU DESERVE IT
At some point every woman experiences an episode of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). A big sneeze, a persistent cough, or a case of the giggles is sometimes all it takes to experience urine leakage.
But if you or someone you care about is experiencing persistent incontinence, you know how devastating its effects can be. Fear of embarrassment over wetness or odour. Worry that friends or loved ones will discover such a private health issue. Feeling dirty despite continually changing clothes and doing laundry.
A QUIET BUT COMMON CONDITION
It is not surprising that, if left untreated, SUI can lead to dramatic restriction of your activities and lifestyle. What is surprising is just how common this quiet condition really is. In fact, 29% of women over age 45 have incontinence (about 1 out of 3 women) and 48% of women over age 65 (about 1 out of 2 women).
However there are a number of treatment options available to treat stress urinary incontinence.
WHAT CAUSES INCONTINENCE
You may have wondered why your bladder is leaking urine. In women with stress urinary incontinence, pelvic muscles and tissue have been weakened, causing the bladder and urethra (the canal that carries urine from the bladder) to relax from their normal positions. Muscles and tissue are often weakened by:
As a result, sudden abdominal pressure from coughing, sneezing, laughing or simple lifting can cause accidental loss of urine.
DIFFERENT TREATMENT OPTIONS
Pelvic floor exercises
These exercises are normally recommended as a first step to treating symptoms of stress urinary incontinence by strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor. Although many women are helped by these exercises, they don’t work for everyone.
Zuidex™
Zuidex™ gel, made by Q-Med Limited, is a safe and effective treatment for correcting stress incontinence. The same substance used in Zuidex™ gel has been used safely in more than 20,000 children around the world for correction of problems related to the bladder. Zuidex™ gel consists of two natural substances, which are accepted by the body. No allergic reactions have been noted. Zuidex™ is placed along the urethra in order to achieve better closure and help prevent urine leakage.
You will receive an anaesthetic before the procedure to prevent discomfort; in most cases, only a local anaesthetic is needed. The procedure is safe and quick, without the inconvenience of an overnight hospital stay. Most women can return to their normal activities within a few hours.
In the majority of cases Zuidex™ provides immediate and long-lasting relief from the symptoms of stress urinary incontinence. The procedure and gel have a proven safety profile.
Urethral Support Sling
A urethral support sling helps correct incontinence with a soft “mesh” that supports the urethra and is one of today’s most successful surgical procedures for stress urinary incontinence. The procedure is minimally invasive and involves placing the mesh material under the urethra to give it a point of support. The sling functions much like a hammock on which your urethra rests to prevent accidental urine leakage.
The soft mesh is made of a narrow strip of loosely knitted strands of polypropylene and is light and porous so your body tissues can grow into it to provide optimal support.
Surgical mesh has been used to treat urinary incontinence since 1965, and used in more than 1 million patients worldwide. American Medical Systems (AMS) mesh alone has been placed in more than 250,000 patients.
The type of urethral support sling your doctor chooses will affect certain aspects of the procedure. Placement of a Monarc® or SPARC® sling is performed as an in-patient procedure under general anaesthesia, with normally a single night stay in hospital.
In general, placing a sling involves the following steps:
- Small incisions may be made in the vagina, the abdomen or where the top of your thigh meets your pelvic area.
- The mesh is inserted through an incision and placed under the urethra to form a cradle of support.
- The mesh is self-fixating and anchors itself to tissue and muscle in the space surrounding the urethra.
Your incisions will be small and should heal quickly. For approximately four to six weeks after the operation you should avoid sexual intercourse, heavy lifting and exercise. Your doctor will provide you with additional information on how to care for yourself after surgery.
Sources:
Q-Med UK Limited http://www.zuidex.com/
American Medical Systems www.americanmedicalsystems.com
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