Surgery for Urinary Dysfunction

T.~

I didn't even know there was a name for this. I was just like you. Pregnant with my second child, puking in the toilet and leaking pee all over the floor! If I run, jump, sneeze, or laugh I leak also. It is nice to know there is a name for this and also something that can be done about it.

J. H

I'm a yoga teacher and I recommend the book, "The Female Pelvis: Anatomy and Exercises," by Blandine Calais-Germain.

It's got great drawings of the anatomy and helps you better understand the pelvic organs & muscles, pelvic floor and how to keep them healthy and fit throughout your life -- during pregnancy, childbirth and into your senior years.

It will be great resource for you to maintain the tone and elasticity of your pelvic floor muscles after you have the surgery.

All of the best,
Sue

Hi T., I am a mom to 4 boys and I have had the exact same urinary problems as you. I was so glad to realize I was not alone. I have not had any consultation on this problem but will be watching for your responses to see what I might do as well. This was especially hard for me because before I had children I was quite athletic. When I tried to get back into running and jump roap I realized that this was not going to work. I wish you the best of luck.

M. T

Yep! that's a consequence of having several children. I am so pleased to tell you that I had three beautiful healthy children (vaginally) and got the incontenence from those wonderful experiences, you know it's one of those "war wounds" that you can proudly show off!!
I was never embarrassed to talk about this to Anyone!! my hubby was though. He never understood how proud I was of myself!
Well, I had this problem for TEN years! I tried everything, Kegel exercises, biofeedback, etc. nothing worked.
My very qualified gynecologist offered me the new bladder surgery. It's quite different from the traditional surgery they used to make. They would cut the bladder and tighten it back. He said it is not permanent. One of my friends had it and went back to incontinence only after 5 yrs after; her obesity did not help to keep the bladder in place.

I had the new surgery where they place a tension tape (tension free vaginal tape - TVT) for stress incontinence. This tape is made out of a certain kind of mesh that is positioned under the urethra like a sling or a hammock to support it and return it to normal position.
I also had like an extra procedure to assure that the bladder and urethra were really tight (with some stitches to the upper leg)the cuts were really small and disappear in matter or days.
I had no complications and did not have to use a catheter at home. The recovery was fabulous (It was very unconfortable for days ( I can't deny it, but it was worth it). I only regret not doing it years before!!

be sure to see a very qualified surgeon or gynecologist, I do recommend the surgery, quality of life is very important.

Good luck and be proud of yourself!!

Hi T.,
I don't have experience with this, but just watched an icredible PBS documentary on it, called "A Walk to Beautiful". It focused on Ethiopian women and issues with fistulas which lead to incontinence. Due to the paucity of adequate medical care during labor and delivery, there is a very high rate of these problems. I wanted to reassure you that, indeed, you are not alone, and you are fortunate enough to have access to corrective surgery.
I wish you the best of luck,
E.

I am a surgical RN and these procedures work great! I see many patients go through this procedure. When I do post operative phone calls I have yet to talk with one who has regretted having this done. Find a good MD and go for it. You are too young for this.

My daughter in law had this done and the results are great No more leaking and was back to work in 3 weeks Hope you have good luck too as I know you will

Yes childbirth just sctrews us up. I too have the same problem and have thought about looking into this surgery. I am just not a real good candidate for any surgery due to a stoke and the bloodthinners I have tyo take. I do have a friend that had it done and it was successful for her. She had the most problems getting the catheter out because she had trouble going pee then.

hello T.. looks like you're in good company! ;)
yes, I have the same problem. My son is 10. Some days are better than others. I take oxybutynin, generic for ditropan. it works better for me than other rx. I don't take it every day. I tend to take for a few weeks, then stop for a few. I wear appropriate liners - oh joy.

Beware of wearing liners all the time. Because of the chemicals in the liners & the constant contact, it causes a skin issue. Now I get to use ointments -- daily.

My doc has told me to hold off on surgery, but I think I'm long overdue.

I hope you get results & relief soon - whatever you decide to do. keep us posted! ~JJ

Yes, I had that surgery about 4 years ago, and it was quite effective, recovery was very quick (a couple of days), had to go home with a catheter for 2 days, but that was tolerable. Once the catheter was gone, I was a NEW WOMAN! Of course, then I got pregnant and delivered c-section 14 months ago, and now I've got the stress incontinence again, not quite as bad, but still I need to go get evaluated and see if I need a patch job.

I have 5 children and started having problems after the 3rd child. I was told that there was a bubble (meaning that my bladder was hanging down a little) They just told me to do 100 kegles a day. I have had this problem for a long time my youngest is turning 5 this week. I just wear pads all the time because I don't know if I'm going to sneeze or laugh and that brings leaks. They kind of dismissed it and told me that I should avoid surgery and so I am back at the kegles again. I would love to know how it turns out for you.
J.

I went to my doctor and told her about my uncontrollable bladder, she told me surgery was an option. I have seen commercials about Detrol. I blurted it out, I was willing to try it. Side effects are constipation and dry mouth. For me is fatique. It does work, you don't use the restroom as much. They should of gave you that option. Sorry to hear about your discomfort. I never heard of this problem. I know its embarrassing having accidents, and you can't control it. I wish you the best of luck. My son sat on my bladder and people laughed at me. My son had his kidney removed from reflux, and his kidney was small. He still has reflux, and I worry what's next for my son.

Also do Pilates...it is great for the pelvic floor.
P.

I'm surprised you didn't get more positive responses about the surgery. My co-worker just had it and is doing great! She wishes she had it 10 years ago.
I am pregnant and I have IC. It's a PAINFUL bladder condition, in which the GAG (mucus layer) has deteriorated. Basically, my bladder hemorages every time it has fluid in it (so all the time). Just mentioning it to let you know why I have such an interest in bladder issues!! It shouldn't be an embarrassing issue, but sadly it is and it's so hard to speak about.
If I was in your situation, I'd do the surgery. It will most likely correct the problem and then you won't have to wear pads or worry about it anymore!! Best of luck! Let us know what you decide.
If you had just had the baby then maybe there would be more chance of recouping. Two and a half years is a long time.

I am a massage therapist and just worked on a friend who is in her 50's and had this done less than 2 wks ago, she still has a cathader (spelling) in and the swelling hasn't gone down so she can't go pee on her own,when she does try she says it feels like she still has to go. My mother also had this surgery and well six months after she couldn't hold it while walking the dog and filled her shoe. So I would ask about patients and how they feel about it and do they feel it works... good luck...

J.

I've had two surgeries for bladder prolapse and cystocele (weak points in the vaginal wall causing the bladder to sag). The first time my uterus was removed, urethra suspended and vaginal walls tightened up by a urogyncologist. Due to the complexity my recovery was long and uncomfortable, and I couldn't urinate while sitting! Apparently the urethra had too much support. Fortunately over time it relaxed a little, but two years later I went to another surgeon who decided another cystocele repair should do the trick. Now I can pee normally but I have leakage, and I'm going in for another consultation and hope for another surgery to make me feel normal. I feel better knowing how common these bladder problems are, because I thought it was just my weird body since I've only had one child.

Yes! I have the same issue. I didn't know about the surgery, but thanks for sharing! I kept hoping that it would go away eventually, but with each pregnancy, it seems to get worse.

It's been almost 2 years since my daughter was born and I've had the same problem as you do. Yesterday I went in for a full physical and told my midwife about it and she checked for the bubble, found it and told me that doing core strengthening excercises and Pilates work wonders on fixeing the muscles in that area. Good luck!

Hi T.!
I went through and continue to go through the SAME things. I urinated on myself when I would get sick (which was often!)while pregnant with my 2nd child (now 3 months) and I continue to wear panty liners on a daily basis; if I know I'll be doing a lot of walking, I'll wear a thin pad. I don't want this to continue forever and I didn't know a surgery was available. I'd be interested in hearing about the results.

But I do feel your pain. I have a close friend who went through/goes through the same things.
I wish you luck on your surgery!
Cheers,
M.

I had the sling done about 1 yr ago. My son was 5 mos old, and my daughter was 3 yrs old. I decided to get my tubes tied after having bad luck with an IUD. I had a new OB/GYN that had me fill out a questionaire and one of the questions had to do with leakage. My doctor told me she could do the sling surgery at the same time and it wouldn't add any additional recovery so I had the works done. It was amazing! Totally changed my life as I had no leakage and no more anxiety about it. Now about a yr later I have a tiny bit of leakage occasionally, but nothing like it was. My doctor told me that no amount of kegals will fix the problem that the sling can. I had my surgery on a Friday morning, and had to have a catheter over the weekend. At my Monday appointment I had to perform the pee test before they would take out the cath. They just fill up your bladder with water (using the cath), then you have to empty as much as you can. I recovered really fast, so my catheter came out that day.I believe I may have some leakage because you are not supposed to have the sling done less than 6 mos after giving birth, and I had it done early. Also I was still breast feeding, so the tissues in my vagina were thin and I had some tearing during the procedure that my doctor sewed up. Good luck to you. I don't regret it at all.

Dear T.,
My heart goes out to you.
I am recovering from a broken leg and do not sleep well. I turned on the TV and saw the most beautiful documentary on PBS. There are scores of women in Ethiopia who struggle with this and they are outcasts.
Fortunately, in our society, we do not have the same stigmas and we can drive to a doctor.
Anyway, I have heard of the "slings" and know of women who had them. They do get relief, but depending on the material the sling is made of, they may have to have the procedure repeated in a few years.
Make sure that you have a specialist, which it sounds like you do, and have hope.

Also, you can check out the following link to see a trailer of the documentary I was speaking of and see when it will be airing again. You are SO not alone. And you are lucky to live where we live and you can be treated.
We are very blessed.

Take care! And see the documentary if you can.

http://www.walktobeautiful.com/

Tracy, I have had the surgery twice. Boh times with excellent results. They were within a span of 11 years apart. The recovery lasted about 6 weeks for the first go round, it was accompanied by a prolapsed uterus which was removed at the same time- I was a nursing mother when the procedure was done so the 4 days in the hospital away from my youngest were worse than the surgery itself. The second time was just last year which was a little more complicated, I was older and I had to have the entire pelvic floor repaired and the bladder suspended. I would caution you that lifting small children and over doing it LOL like that is not possible with kids will NOT help with your recovery. Be prepared to be uncomfortable but not in horrible pain. I would have to say it was a 6 as far as pain goes, giving childbirth as the benchmark for a 10. W Hilger MD did the suregery and he was wonderful. A new surgeon here in Sacramento with compassion and such good bedside manner. Good luck. Mother of three teenagers.

Hey, my mom had the procedure done and it changed her life. She had worn full size maxipads since having 3 kids. Every cough or laugh and she'd pee a little. Finally at age 60 she got the sling procedure done for PFD, pelvic floor disorder. Thats what the sling was originally for. If your pelvic floor is strong, why are they doing THAT procedure? She had a fabulous doc that specializes in the procedure named Anat Sapan, She also delivered my son and became a very close family friend in the process of taking care of mom and daughter. Dr Sapan is out of Solano County and would be worth a consult, she's the best. That procedure made it so my mom no longer wears anything to protect from leaking and actually never leaks now. She's liberated. Good luck.

I had the surgery and it changed my life. forget exercise if I even walked too fast (run afte a toddler anyone?) I was leaking. There are no amount of kegels that wil fix this and absolutely no reason to continue living with it. The surgery was easy. I was on the couch taking vicodin for a couple of days but back to my normal self after about a week. Dr said not to lift anything heavy (20lbs) for a couple of weeks even if I felt ok. My only regret was waiting so long to have it done.

T. -

AS much as I don't want anyone else to be going through what I am, I have to say, it's nice to know I'm not alone. I just had my second child 7 weeks ago and have a 2 1/2 yr old as well. I have been wearing panty liners ever since (I finally downsized to a liner...) and I have DEFINITELY thrown up and peed on the floor and myself through my entire pregnancy and the flu twice during the pregnancy. I was just prescribed a medication and haven't picked it up yet. I'm nervous going out in public and I'm even scared to be intimate with my husband for fear of an accident. Do you have any problems with that? I'm sorry you're going through this. When is your surgery?

D.

Hi T.,

I have not had the surgery but I am in the same exact boat you are in. In fact, I was going to make an appointment with an urologist. I am very frustrated with the condition because I am very active and I like to exercise. The only exercise I can do is lifting weights and walking. I only have one son and I have been experiencing this since his birth 2 1/2 years ago. Ugh!!! Is surgery the only option??

Who is your urologist??

K.