Incontinence Treatments

Incontinence Surgery

11 Sep, 2023
Incontinence Surgery

What is incontinence surgery?

Sometimes urinary incontinence can have a negative impact on your quality of life .

When you’ve exhausted conventional treatments and the ever-present symptoms still pose as a major disruption to your everyday activities, it may be time to look at a more radical solution, like surgery.

Although it is more invasive and has a higher risk of complications than other therapies, urinary incontinence surgery can also provide a long-term solution in severe or persistent cases.

Your surgical options depend on the type of urinary incontinence you have. Most options for urinary incontinence surgery treat stress incontinence. However, surgical alternatives are available for other bladder problems, including urge incontinence.

When is surgery required?

There is a range of surgical procedures to treat urinary incontinence and you should consult your doctor about which best suits you. If non-surgical treatments for urinary incontinence are unsuccessful or unsuitable, surgery or other procedures may be recommended. Before making a decision, discuss the risks and benefits with a specialist, as well as any possible alternative treatments.
  • Stress incontinence : Most often results from weakened pelvic floor muscles and connective tissue supporting the bladder. If behavior modification and pelvic floor exercises don’t resolve the symptoms of stress incontinence or If stress incontinence is so severe that it’s interfering with your daily life, a surgical treatment might be a right option. Surgical approaches include colposuspension to repair the bladder neck, and bladder suspension surgery (also known as sling suspension) to repair the pelvic floor.
  • A surgical approach for urge incontinence is rare. Urge incontinence occurs when the bladder walls involuntarily contract to create an overwhelming urge sensation with incontinence often as a result. Other treatments including medications are usually first-line therapies, but bladder augmentation surgery is sometimes suggested as a last resort measure.
This content should not substitute medical advice from your personal healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider for recommendations/diagnosis or treatment.
Kimberly-Clark Canada makes no warranties or representations regarding the completeness or accuracy of the information. This information should be used only as a guide and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional medical or other health professional advice.