Surgery For Bladder Dysfunction

Most individuals will never need to undergo a surgery for incontinence. Surgery is used to correct urinary incontinence in one of two ways:

• It can address and correct the anatomical problem or
• Implant a device that alters the function of the bladder muscle

Surgical procedures do not always work for everyone. Some persons will not become “dry” after surgery. There may also be complications to surgeries for correcting urinary incontinence. In addition, surgery will only correct certain types of incontinence. To know which is right for you, you will need to consult a urogynecologic or urologic surgeon.

There are different types of procedures used for incontinence. These include:

• Changing the position of the bladder neck which alters how urine is released
• Repairing weakened pelvic floor muscles
• Blockage removal
• Placing an implant or sling around the urethra
• Implanting a device that stimulates nerves to increase awareness of the urge to urinate
• For women: the injection of collagen around the urethra compresses the urethra. This helps to increases resistance to the flow of urine though the procedure may have to repeated
• Enlargement of the bladder is another option for some.