Incontinence and Bladder Health

The Fibroid Treatment Collaborative is dedicated to the comprehensive multi-disciplinary approach to the management of female urinary incontinence and pelvic surgery. The fact is that your situation is unique and deserves an individualized treatment plan. Located in Chicago, Illinois and Austin, Texas, we are minimally invasive gynecologic surgeons, radiologists, pain specialists, reproductive endocrinologists and physical therapists working in collaboration to plan your treatment. We offer a personal treatment plan that takes into account the patient's personal preferences. Click Here To learn more about our center.

Urinary incontinence, or loss of bladder control, is a symptom with many different causes. Therefore, there is no one "best" treatment. Rather, the best possible treatment requires an accurate diagnosis and selection of therapy that is customized to the individual patient. The focus of this brochure is surgical therapy for women with stress urinary incontinence. It is first necessary to review the anatomy of the lower urinary system, define the types of incontinence, and explain the causes of stress incontinence to put this discussion in context.

Anatomy

The lower urinary tract is composed of the urinary bladder (the organ which stores urine) and the urethra (the channel through which the urine exits the body) with the muscular sphincter. The two major types of urinary incontinence are stress incontinence (SUI) and urge incontinence. With SUI, physical stress (exercise, coughing, sneezing, etc.) puts pressure on the top of the bladder. The urethra is unable to stay closed and urine leaks out. In this situation, the abnormality or weakness is in the urethra or pelvic floor (the network of muscles that support the urethra and pelvic organs)(Figure I). Urge incontinence, or overactive bladder, is caused by abnormal, undesired bladder contractions (the bladder muscle does not normally contract until a person is at the toilet and is ready to urinate). This abnormal contraction pushes urine out through the urethra and causes leakage (Figure II). In this situation, the abnormality is in the bladder because it is contracting inappropriately. When these two conditions occur together (which they commonly do), it is referred to as mixed urinary incontinence. SUI can be treated with behavioral and non-surgical therapy as well as with surgery. While non-surgical options are available for women with SUI, the purpose of this brochure is to explain the surgical treatment of SUI. Women who have mixed incontinence should not only explore treatment options for SUI but also for urge incontinence, as they differ.

Click below to learn more:

* Causes and Types of Incontinence
* Interstitial Cystitis and Painful Bladder
* Bladder Diet
* Bladder Diary
* Cystoscopy
* Interstim Therapy for Overactive Bladder
* Urodynamic Testing for Incontinence
* Sling Procedure for Stress Incontinence
* What are Kegel Exercises?
* Pelvic Organ Prolapse, Cystocoele, Rectocoele and Uterine Prolapse