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 Medical Conditions Bladder & Urinary
Bladder Problems and Urinary Incontinence A large number of women experience urinary leakage (incontinence) or other types of trouble controlling their bladder. This can be a debilitating and embarrassing condition. Leakage can occur with coughing, laughing, sneezing or exercise. Some women complain of leakage as they try to make it to the restroom when they hear water running. It is common for Dr. Pizarro to hear women describe the need to visit the bathroom every hour or more often. Many women wear pads to stay dry or feel secure. These problems require specialized evaluation and can be treated effectively with proper attention. If a woman has symptoms caused by a bladder infection, it can be treated with antibiotics. If not, specialized testing called urodynamics is needed to learn more about how the patient's bladder is behaving. Dr. Pizarro will sometimes recommend looking inside the bladder (cystoscopy) to check for problems inside the bladder. Not all bladder problems require surgery for relief. The muscles that surround and control the bladder can be strengthened and reconditioned with the help of special exercises and treatments (physical therapy). Dr. Pizarro has seen very rewarding results for women using this approach with the help of trained therapists with whom he works closely. Learning new habits by retraining the bladder to behave properly can be a very effective tool for most patients. On rare occasions, Dr. Pizarro will recommend certain medications that help relax the bladder to reduce the over activity that can cause symptoms. With certain types of leakage, surgery is needed to correct the problem. Most commonly this requires restoring the support lost by the opening of the bladder (the urethra). Such surgeries, like the urethral sling procedure, are usually done with minimally invasive techniques and have been shown to be effective in about 85% of patients. |
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