The most common type of urine incontinence is stress urinary incontinence (SUI), which affects 15 million women in the United States alone. SUI is involuntary urine leakage that happens when there is an increase in intra-abdominal pressure ("stress"). SUI occurs with laughing, sneezing, coughing, exercise, lifting, and other activities.
The major cause of SUI is insufficient bladder support, which results in leaks during activity. SUI affects women of all ages, including approximately 25% of women aged 30-59 years, particularly those who have delivered at least one baby vaginally.
While not a life-threatening disorder, SUI diminishes a woman’s quality of life, often limiting her professional, social, sexual, and recreational activities.
A variety of therapeutic options are available to treat women with SUI. These approaches are broadly divided into non-surgical and surgical treatments, and each category has specific benefits and risks.
There are several non-surgical approaches to the treatment of SUI; however, these often require multiple and repeated treatments over weeks and months to achieve and maintain effectiveness. Some non-surgical treatments, such as urinary plugs and vaginal pessaries, mechanically block urine leakage.
Other therapies, such as Kegel exercises, biofeedback, physical therapy, and pelvic floor electrical stimulation, attempt to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. These strengthening approaches have limited effectiveness and many women are unwilling or unable to continue performing these exercises consistently over a long period of time.
Bulking agents (which are injected into the urethra to partially obstruct the flow of urine) are not approved by the FDA for the most common form of SUI. Multiple treatments are often required and some agents are associated with a higher incidence of complications than other treatment options.
While the various surgical procedures can be effective for many women, they all pose a greater risk than the non-surgical treatments. The most common type of surgical procedure is referred to as “sling” procedures because they involve the placement of an implant (known as a “sling”) to support the bladder and urethra.
These treatments range from traditional invasive, open surgical procedures to the more recently introduced, less invasive insertion techniques. All can result in post-operative pain, several weeks of post-operative recovery, and significant costs. Furthermore, some women who have undergone surgical treatment report continued leaking. Surveys have shown that many women with SUI are not interested in surgical therapy.
Talk to your Urine Leak Doctor in Coimbatore for a better choice of treatment for SUI.
