Surgeries for Female Stress Incontinence

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Overview & Description

Open bladder and urethral surgeries are usually performed to prevent urine leakage associated with stress incontinence (involuntary leakage of urine when laughing, coughing, sneezing, or lifting, which can result from deformity or damage to the urethra and bladder from decreased muscle tone caused by multiple births, menopause, or other causes).

This problem is usually associated with a cystocele. A cystocele is when the bladder sags into or even outside the vagina. The patient can often feel this during sexual intercourse or may even see the bladder protruding outside of the vagina.

Surgery attempts to return the bladder and urethra to its normal position in the pelvis. This surgery can be performed in many different ways, depending of the patient's anatomy and the severity of the problem.

The two most common ways of performing this surgery is through the abdominal wall or though the vagina. Some of the procedures require general anesthesia and others require only local or regional (spinal) anesthesia.

You will usually return from surgery with a Foley catheter and/or a suprapubic catheter in place. The urine may initially appear bloody, but this should gradually resolve.

The Foley or suprapubic catheter may be removed several days after surgery when you are able to completely empty your bladder. Occasionally, the catheter will need to remain in place for as long as 3 months, depending on the person's ability to empty the bladder completely.