New Treatment For Urine Leakage

Women are much more likely to get stress urinary incontinence, leakage of urine, when they cough, sneeze, or make other sudden motions, than men. This is because of the way the bladder and urethra are located and because of the effects of pregnancy and childbirth, for many women.

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Depending on the extent of the incontinence, or leakage, it can cause serious problems. If it’s bad enough, the woman may become isolated, afraid to leave the house in fear of an accident. And, even if it’s not a life-threatening problem, it’s one that can affect how a woman feels about herself and her relationships with others. For that reason, it’s important that women who have this problem speak up and seek help.

For some women, it’s a matter of strengthening the pelvic muscles, regularly performing Kegel exercises . For others, surgery is necessary. Now, however, there may be another option for women who can’t undergo surgery for whatever reason. It is also an option for women who already have had surgery and need more treatment, but don’t want to have yet another operation.

This technique uses collagen, the same thing that women use to plump up their lips if they want the Angelina Jolie look. The collagen is injected into the tissue in the urethra, which then  tightens the urethral sphincter (valve) and stops urine from leaking.

A study published in the February edition of the Journal of Urology showed that 93% of the women considered themselves to be improved or cured. Doctors injected the collagen and then assessed the amount of collagen in the tissue, using a 3D ultrasound. If the collagen appeared to be uneven after a few months, a second injection could be done if the women wanted. In the few cases where the collagen didn’t work, the women were offered a different type of therapy.

Source: UT Southwestern Medical Center