Bladder Control

Q.

I had surgery for bladder leakage. Prior to the surgery I would loose control of my bladder when I would laugh, cough, sneeze or jump, but I would also have problems controlling my bladder when I had a severe urge to urinate and could not get to the bathroom in time. The leakage for the first type of incontinence is better but not cured. The biggest problem is that the leakage associated with the urge to void is worse. Can you help me with this?

A.

The first type of control problem is called “Stress Incontinence”. If diagnosed correctly 90% of the women who have surgery for just “Stress Incontinence” should be dry. On the other hand women who suffer from both “Stress Incontinence” and “Urge Incontinence” together need to be evaluated thoroughly with a special bladder test before considering surgery. It is quite common that the women who suffer from both types of incontinence would do much better by taking medication alone. If after taking medication the “Urge Incontinence” is still a significant problem then surgery is an excellent option to be completely dry. Remember, control the “Urge Incontinence” first. In your case where you have become worse I would recommend one of the many medications that are available for “Urge Incontinence”. If this does not correct the problem you may well benefit from having your surgery undone. Incontinence is a complicated condition taking a little time for a thorough evaluation before considering different treatment options will benefit the vast majority of patients who suffer from this problem.