Female Incontinence Treatment in The Woodlands, TX

Urinary incontinence is a condition where there is a loss of control in managing the flow of urine from your body.

Approximately 17 million women in the U.S. encounter urinary incontinence in their lifetime. This condition can occur in women between the ages of 18 and 60 and beyond and is usually a result of the urethra not being closed tightly to keep urine in the bladder.
Symptoms vary from:

  • an inability to prevent leaking urine when exercising or other involuntary actions such as coughing or sneezing
  • an overwhelming urge to urinate that often causes them to urinate before getting to a bathroom.

Dr. Gregory Eads is a board-certified urogynecologist and nationally-recognized robotic surgeon utilizing the highly effective da Vinci® Surgical System. Dr. Eads will take the time and care to diagnose your specific type of incontinence based on your symptoms, and will be able to recommend both surgical and non-surgical treatment options. If you are experiencing symptoms of urinary incontinence and are seeking treatment, contact The Women’s Centre for Well Being to receive the necessary care. To schedule a consultation at our urogynecology office in The Woodlands, TX, please call (832) 813-0979 today!

The 7 Types of Female Urinary Incontinence

Urge Incontinence

The sudden and unexpected need to urinate more than 8 times per day can lead to leaks voiding.

Stress Incontinence

The involuntary loss of urine is due to increased pressure on the abdomen and bladder.

Overflow Incontinence

Small amounts of urine involuntarily leak because the patient is unable to sense when the bladder is full.

Mixed Incontinence

Mixed incontinence is the most common form. Patients exhibit symptoms of both stress and urge incontinence.

Functional Incontinence

There is no issue with the urinary system, but the patient is unable to make it to the bathroom in time due to mental or physical limitations.

Transient Incontinence

This form of incontinence is temporary and caused by a short-lived condition or treatment for a condition.

Total Incontinence

Total incontinence is the complete loss of urinary control due to a severe physical injury or abnormality.

 

How is Urinary Incontinence Treated?

Typically, urinary incontinence is minor and manageable during their day-to-day life, but, if you are finding it difficult to perform everyday activities due to your urge incontinence, then it may be time to consult with a urology specialist. There are many treatment options for urinary incontinence and Dr. Eads will help you determine the treatment best for you.

Behavior Therapies

Behavior modification is used to train one’s bladder and sphincter muscles by decreasing fluid intake and by prompting or scheduling voiding.

Pelvic Muscle Exercises

Called Kegel exercises, these exercises commonly are intended to strengthen weak muscles surrounding the bladder.

Protective Undergarments

Basically, these are pads undergarments designed to absorb leaked urine.

Catheter

These tubes are inserted into the urethra to collect urine into an external drainage bag. These are generally left in place 24 hours a day.

External Devices

Called a Pessary, this device is designed to apply pressure to help reposition the urethra permitting it to close tightly. It features a stiff ring that is inserted into the vagina to exert pressure press against the wall of the vagina and urethra.

Bulking Injections

Bulking agents such as collagen are injected directly into the urethral lining to firm and bulk up the urethral lining so that the urethra can close more tightly.

Medications

There are a number of medications to treat incontinence caused by the urge to continually void. Where incontinence is stress-related, there are no medications to treat this. For incontinence caused by a combination of both urge and stress, drug therapy may be helpful in treating the urge component.

Surgery

There are a number of surgical approaches to strengthen, support, elevate and/or restore the urethra and bladder. These are employed when other treatments are not working and include:

  • Retropubic Suspensions. Surgical procedures (Burch procedure) are intended to restore the urethra and neck of the bladder to a higher anatomical position.
  • Urethral Slings. Procedures used to treat that treats hypermobility in which a sling is used to support the urethra when there is increased abdominal pressure.
    • Bone-fixed slings – treat incontinence by supporting the urethra with a graft material attached to the pubic bone.
    • Self-fixated slings – can be used to support the urethra and are secured in place by friction and tissue ingrowth, and require no sutures or screws.

Schedule a Consultation for Female Urinary Incontinence Treatment in The Woodlands, TX

There are several types of female urinary incontinences, contact the Women’s Centre for Well Being for proper diagnosis and treatment of urinary incontinence. If you are experiencing symptoms of urinary incontinence and are seeking care, please call our urogynecology office in Woodlands, TX to schedule a consultation with Dr. Gregory Eads today.

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