Incontinence Sling May be a Last Stitch Effort
An incontinence or bladder sling is a surgical procedure used to help manage stress incontinence, and as with any surgery this one should not be entered into lightly. Bladder slings are particularly effective in women, though recently it is also being performed in men, who have tried other surgical solutions to no avail; who have other risk factors such as obesity; or who have a sagging bladder neck or urethra.
This surgery is usually very successful at relieving stress incontinence, and it is performed by placing a sling around the urethra to support it in the proper position. The bladder sling also exerts pressure on the urethra, the urinary tube from the bladder, which helps it retain urine, and it is attached to the patient’s abdominal wall on either side to hold it in place. The bladder sling is made of any number of different materials. Some are natural materials like muscle taken from the woman’s own body. The muscle tissue can also be taken from an animal like a pig. There are also slings composed of man made materials like plastic or polymer
Bladder sling surgery is invasive, and it requires very deep incisions to attach the sling to the patient. For this reason, the patient is hospitalized for several days. The patient is normally catheterized to allow the urethra to drain during the healing process. Allow up to a month for healing, and do your best to take it easy during this time. While pain is a very individual experience, you will most likely feel some pain at the area where the incisions took place, and you may experience some cramping. Your doctor will send you home with medication to relieve the pain, especially the first few days after surgery. Your doctor may also prescribe a stool softener, because constipation can accompany the healing process. Drinking plenty of non caffeinated beverages helps, and including a healthy dose of fiber including fruits and vegetables in your diet will work wonders. If you find that you are suffering from constipation, then let your doctor know so that they can help you to resolve the problem.
While this surgery is typically successful, it is not a simple surgery. By using tissue from your own body, the risk of erosion of the urethra or vagina is somewhat diminished. However, the tissue must be harvested from your body, so it increases the surgical activity that you must endure. Aside from the danger of wearing away tissue, there are some risks involved with this surgery. The sutures can pull out, and if the patient is obese, this risks are even greater. There is always the possibility of post surgical infection or rejection of the tissue used for the sling. The surgery can also affect sexual function, and then there is the ever present risk of complications with the anesthesia.
Before jumping right in and assuming that bladder sling surgery is perfect for you, make sure that you do your homework, and find a doctor who has performed many, many of these surgeries. This is a difficult procedure, so you want to make sure that you have a skilled surgeon performing the operation. To boost the likelihood of the operation being a success, you as a patient can stop smoking, lose weight if you are heavy, and doing Kegel exercises before undergoing the surgery.
Further Stress Incontinence Articles
- Bladder Sling
- Bladder Stress Incontinence Treatment Revolutionized with Stem Cells
- Can Exercise Cause Stress Incontinence?
- New Procedure Treats Stress Incontinence
- Bulking Agents as a Treatment for Stress Incontinence
