Diagnosis and Treatment for Bladder Disorders

Bladder pain, sensations of urinary frequency and urgency, and urinary incontinence are a common source of frustration for women today.

Although not usually serious or life threatening, these problems can frequently be a source of embarrassment and substantial disability. River Oaks physicians have taken a keen interest in the identification and management of urinary tract disorders.

The two most common types of urinary incontinence are:

  • Overactive bladder, where urine loss is associated with a sense of severe urgency and inability to make it to the bathroom in time; and
  • Stress urinary incontinence where a small amount of urine is usually lost with cough, sneeze, change of position or other similar “stress events.”

The treatment we utilize for these two types of incontinence are very different and so it is extremely important to perform a careful and thorough evaluation to make certain we know precisely what the underlying problem is. This can be readily accomplished in our office and sometimes requires sophisticated computerized bladder testing.

  • For our patients diagnosed with overactive bladder and urge incontinence, we have had excellent results with physical therapy of the pelvic floor muscles in conjunction with medications to suppress unwanted bladder contractions.
  • Patients with stress incontinence also frequently improve significantly by strengthening the pelvic floor muscles through physical therapy. But if this is not satisfactory, surgery may be indicated. We offer a relatively new procedure called SPARC modification of the TVT suburethral sling. This will cure approximately 80% to 90% of patients with stress incontinence and for many can be performed as an outpatient with minimal pain or recuperation required.

If your bladder problem is beginning to control your life, or is proving to be a significant source of embarrassment or frustration for you, please call any of our physicians to make an appointment for further evaluation. We are able to ultimately achieve significant improvement for most individuals, if not a complete cure.

To learn more about Bladder Disorders and Urinary Difficulties or to make an appointment, please call us at (574) 295-8805.