Female Incontinence
Urinary Incontinence in Women
Incontinence is a very common problem which interferes with a woman’s quality of life. We provide a full range of investigations and treatment for stress and urge incontinence. We perform video urodynamics at Bay Radiology to investigate problematic incontinence.
Treatments we offer include:
- medication
- injection of Botox into the bladder,
- surgical procedures such as pubovaginal sling insertion (synthetic or rectus fascia).
Urge Incontinence - What is it?
- An Overactive Bladder is one that requires you to go to the toilet too frequently, and with less warning to go. At its worst, an overactive bladder causes urge incontinence, which results in leakage before you can get to the toilet. This can occur in certain situations, such as when you’re driving up the driveway, opening the front door, when a tap is running, or it can just occur spotaneously
What options do I have?
- For most women, urge incontinence is treated with medication. Bladder retraining is also very important, and this likely to be more successful when used in combination with medication. In a small proportion of women, medication is not tolerated or is ineffective, and injection of Botox into the bladder is used. This works on the nerves to the bladder, making them less irritable and reducing the bladder overactivity.
- We offer tibial nerve neuromodulation as a treatment for women with bladder overactivity, an option that may be used instead of medication.
Stress Incontinence - What is it?
- Stress incontinence is leakage of urine during activity; women commonly come to see us as the leakage prevents them from enjoying exercise, playing with their children or grandchildren, or even laughing. Leakage when on a trampoline or walking down The Mount are other common reasons that women come and see us.
What options do I have?
- In contrast to urge incontinence, treatment of stress incontinence is with surgery. André, Liam and have a large experience with synthetic pubovaginal slings and rectus fascia slings, and these are proven to be effective with minimal problems in the right patient. See here for more information.