Basic Evaluation: InterStim Therapy Test Stimulation Procedure InterStim Therapy is unique in that test stimulation can be performed to assess the effectiveness of the therapy prior to placing the more permanent neurostimulator implant. This test is designed to determine whether your urinary symptoms can be improved through stimulation of the sacral nerves which help to… Read more

Urinary incontinence may be treated with medicines. But in many cases, treatment with behavioral methods (bladder training, timed urination) and Kegel exercises are tried before medicines. These treatments, when combined with medicine, may help some women more than either treatment alone. Medication Choices Anticholinergics for Urinary Incontinence in Women Generic Name      Brand Name… Read more

Urinary Incontinence in Women If you have urinary incontinence, you can take some steps on your own that may stop or reduce the problem. Manage your fluid intake.  In 2004, the Institutes of Medicine reported that most people meet their daily hydration needs by letting their thirst guide them. Little scientific evidence exists that supports… Read more

How is it treated? The first step in treatment will be to try some of the following things at home: Behavioral Treatment & Kegels Medications If you have severe overactive bladder or severe urge incontinence that hasn’t been controlled by exercises or medicine, you may be able to try other treatments. These include Botox injections or… Read more

How is overactive bladder diagnosed? Dr. burns will do a physical exam. She will ask what kinds of fluids you drink and how much. She will also want to know how often you urinate, how much, and if you leak. It may help to write down these things in a BLADDER DIARY for a few days… Read more

What causes overactive bladder? Overactive bladder is caused by an overactive muscle in the bladder that pushes urine out. There are many things that can make this muscle overactive. It can be caused by a bladder infection, stress, or another medical problem. Some brain problems, such as Parkinson’s disease or a stroke can also lead… Read more

Overactive Bladder What is overactive bladder? With overactive bladder, you have many strong, sudden urges to urinate during the day and night. You can get these urges even when you have only a little bit of urine in your bladder. You may not be able to hold your urine until you get to the bathroom…. Read more

Cystoscopy of the Bladder Cystoscopy is a test that looks at the inner lining of the bladder and the tube from the bladder to the outside of the body (urethra). The cystoscope is a thin, lighted viewing tool that is put into the urethra and moved into the bladder. When the cystoscope is inside your… Read more

Urethral Sling for Stress Incontinence in Women Surgery Overview Urethral sling surgeries to treat urinary incontinence involve placing a sling around the urethra to lift it back into a normal position and to exert pressure on the urethra to aid urine retention. The sling is attached to the abdominal wall. The sling material may be… Read more

Vaginal Sling Procedure for Stress Urinary Incontinence The purpose of the vaginal sling procedure is to create a hammock of support and to help prevent the urethra from opening when you cough, sneeze, or laugh. The procedure involves placing a piece of material under the urethra. The material options available to us include synthetic mesh,… Read more

  Prevention Non-Surgical Management Surgical Management   Navigate back to Incontinence Main Page

Burch Colposuspension Midurethral Slings with Mesh Macroplastique   Navigate back to Stress Incontinence

Vaginal Pessaries  Pessaries are successfully used for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence and vaginal wall prolapse. These are plastic devices typically made of silicon, similar to vaginal contraceptive diaphragms, which are used to either liftand support the vaginal walls. Success: About half of the women who are successfully fitted with a pessary will continue… Read more

Non-Surgical Treatments Lifestyle Changes Pessary  Pelvic Floor Muscle Strengthening Exercises “KEGELS” Surgical Management Navigate back to Stress Incontinence

Diagnosis The first step is to determine which type of urinary incontinence you may have. The type of incontinence will determine which course of treatment we can off you. To begin, we will collect a thorough history and physical exam. The history and exam may give our doctor indicators or clues as to what incontinence you may be experiencing. Next,… Read more

  Indications for Urodynamic Testing: If you have a problem with urination or urinary leakage, your physician may order a test called Multichannel Urodynamic Testing to evaluate the cause of your problem. This study assesses how well your bladder and urethra muscles work at storing and releasing urine. Indications are: * incontinence * frequent urination… Read more

Burch or Marshall Marchetti Krantz (MMK) Colposupension  These procedures are also called Retropubic Colposuspensions. These have been performed for over 50 years. The surgery is performed through a small open abdominal incision or laporascopically. In this operation, stitches are placed into the vaginal wall alongside the urethra at the bladder neck and then secured to… Read more

Stress Urinary Incontinence Stress urinary incontinence is loss of urine that occurs at the same time as physical activities that increase the pressure in the abdomen (such as sneezing, coughing, laughing, and exercising). These activities can increase the pressure within the bladder, which behaves like a balloon filled with liquid. The rise in pressure can… Read more