Urinary Incontinence refers to the loss of bladder control. It is really common and the severity ranges from occasionally leaking to an urge that is so sudden that you don’t even get a chance to reach the toilet.

This is usually caused by the muscles and nerves that help the bladder flow or hold urine. In certain cases, like pregnancy, menopause, and childbirth, this condition is more common.
This is more common in women and elderly people. In patients suffering from urological issues, Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) and urinary incontinence have a routine occurrence.

A patient usually endures incontinence because of any of these reasons:

1. diabetes
2. pregnancy or childbirth
3. overactive bladder
4. enlarged prostate
5. weak bladder muscles
6. weak sphincter muscles (muscles supporting the urethra)
7. urinary tract infections
8. diseases including Parkinson’s and multiple sclerosis
9. injury to the spinal cord
10. severe constipation

6 TYPES OF URINARY INCONTINENCE

• Stress incontinence
• Urge incontinence
• Mixed incontinence
• Overflow incontinence
• Functional incontinence
• Reflex incontinence

URINARY INCONTINENCE TREATMENTS

1. Medicines

2. Sling surgery for incontinence:
The male sling procedure helps men with urinary incontinence (loss of bladder control). In the procedure, synthetic mesh-like tape is placed around the urethral bulb, compressing and moving the urethra into a new position. This treatment helps many men overcome urinary incontinence issues

TESTS BEFORE SURGERY

• A URODYNAMIC STUDY (testing to assess urinary tract function)
• A 24-hour pad test (to identify the number of pads used and amount of liquid leaked)
• A CYSTOSCOPY (a look inside your bladder)

During the male sling procedure, an incision is made through the perineal tissue (the area between the scrotum and anus). The surgeon will then expose the urethra and use a supportive sling (a mesh-like surgical tape) around part of the urethral bulb that covers the most upper part of the urethra close to where it enters the area of the urethral sphincter. By wrapping the surgical tape around the urethral bulb, the sling gently moves the urethra into a new position and increases resistance in this area. This lends support to the bladder neck.

The male sling procedure is not a major surgery. One of the advantages is that the male sling procedure only requires a small incision in the perineum (between the scrotum base and the anus). Because of this small incision, the recovery time is fairly short. Most patients have their catheters stay in for one to three days depending on surgeon preference.

COMPLICATIONS
• Inability to urinate (retention of urine) – This is the most common problem after surgery and may require catheter reinsertion for another week or two. In very rare cases, a second surgical procedure may be needed to resolve this issue.
• Bleeding and infection (especially of the mesh or the bone area and pubic bone)—This is a rare complication.
• Erosion—This is a rare complication.
• Recurrent leakage of urine

3. Artificial urinary sphincter:
An artificial urinary sphincter is an implanted device to treat moderate to severe stress urinary incontinence, most commonly in men. The AUS is designed to supplement the function of the natural urinary sphincter that restricts urine flow out of the bladder.

Nearly 200,000 patients have had an AUS system inserted. Urination occurs when muscles in the bladder tighten to facilitate the flow of urine out of the body through the urethra.

An artificial sphincter has an inflatable cuff that fits around the urethra close to the point where it joins the bladder. A balloon regulates the pressure of the cuff, and a bulb controls inflation and deflation of the cuff.

Artificial urinary sphincters (AUS) usually last seven to 10 years—some more than 20 years. However, your device will eventually need to be replaced. When an AUS fails, additional surgery will be needed to replace the device (similar to the original surgery).