Stress urinary incontinence

There are many types of incontinence, but the most common type is SUI, Stress Urinary Incontinence.Have you ever leaked urine when coughing or sneezing, while dancing or doing other activities? Or, for no reason at all? If so, you are not alone. Bladder leakage—or stress urinary incontinence—affects millions of women.

Patients with involuntary loss of urine while coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising, or during sex can have their stress urinary incontinence corrected

Will I be a candidate for surgery?

It is important to explore non-surgical avenues first. Physiotherapy, in case of stress incontinence, may avert the need for surgical intervention.

Aging of the vagina can cause a myriad of complaints, also stress incontinence. The history of childbirth may play a very important role in the symptoms. Complaints may be solved by non-surgical means such as the famous Kegel exercise, designed to train the pelvic floor or vaginal muscles. Discuss with your regular gynaecologist if a pessary could be worth trying.

In a number of patients however, due to extreme laxity or delivery trauma of the tissues, elective surgery can be of value. Contra-indications for this procedure are: extreme obesity, smoker's cough and young age. If strenuous Kegel exercise or intensive pelvic training does not provide the result you would like to achieve, further expert advice on this area could be wise. Surgery might be the solution.

The procedure

Enhances the vaginal tone – lifting the bladder:

The surgery is designed to enhance vaginal tone, musc1e strength and increase voluntary control. It tightens the vagina and strengthens the tissue of the perineal body between the vagina and the anus. Normally there is a need for a bladder lift at the same time.

Laser – radiosurgical method:

To avoid unnecessary bleeding we use state of the art surgical equipment like the Ellmann radio-surgical technique. Laser carries no added value, only the disadvantage of inflated cost.

After surgery

We insert a catheter in the bladder for 72 hours to avoid voiding problems in the immediate postoperative period.
A 24hour stay with us allows the vaginal tampon to be removed before you go home. You will be able to eat and drink right away because there is no repercussion of the surgery on bowel function.

After care

Our detailed aftercare plan will be discussed with you at the time of your consultation and on the day of surgery. Any operation can be emotionally draining and may cause you to deplete your physical reserves. You may feel down and tired the first few days. It is important, during the initial recovery period, to listen to your body signals and allow for adequate rest.

After leaving the Wellness Kliniek you are very welcome to call us on our 24 hours aftercare telephone line, in case of further questions or worries.

• You should refrain from heavy lifting for 3 months.
• There will be some discharge (reddish-yellow) for 4-6 weeks.
• The following 6 weeks, which is until the last check up, you should refrain from vaginal and rectal sexual intercourse.

Complications

Complications are rare, but they may occur with any operation. The most relevant, specific to surgery for stress urinary incontinence are:

Cystitis: A bladder infection is common after this type of surgery especially when catheterization was used. We take the necessary precautions, which may involve a prescription for antibiotics.

Problems with voiding: Very rarely, in case of a bladder lift, inadequate emptying of the bladder may occur temporarily. In that event, we re-insert the catheter into the bladder and prescribe medication to encourage the voiding reflex.

After bleeding: It is rare for bleeding to occur after vaginal surgery. Sometimes it may be necessary to insert a second vaginal tampon. A second operation, within the first 24 hours, is only rarely required to control after bleeding.

Hypertrophic scarring: Whenever surgical incisions are made, some form of scarring will ensue. In the case of vulvar or vaginal surgery, scars tend to be negligible in all aspects. However, it always takes up to 18 months for the scar maturation process to be definitive.

During the maturation phase, scarring is at its most intense at 3 months and normally settles down after that. Exceptionally, scar tissue can develop into troublesome tissue, causing tenderness, pain or tightness. This condition of "scar hypertrophy" may require further surgery or other forms of treatment in order to allow it the best chance to settle down.

Long-term expectations:

It is very important to realize that we try to prevent every possible complication.

Most patients are indeed very happy with the results and wish they had it done much earlier. Their regaining adequate bladder and urinary control, significantly improves their quality of life.

The favourable result of this procedure may also be accompanied by enhanced sexual gratification.

In our clinic Plastic Cosmetic and Reconstructive surgery is combined with specialised Gynaecology: Our specialist surgeons are working together in a multi-disciplinary setup.

The Wellness Kliniek carries the ISO 9001 & 14001 Certificate. Each step of the treatment and the materials are tested for safety and effectiveness.