Urinary Loss Methods

Stress incontinence, also known as stress incontinence, is the most common form of incontinence. You then lose urine, because the pelvic floor muscles do not function properly (weakened) and therefore no longer close the bladder properly. This happens, for example, when you have to sneeze, cough, laugh, lift, but also when you exercise, have sex or suddenly stand up. Other forms of incontinence have a different cause and must therefore be treated differently than described here.

Too little support
If the pelvic floor does not provide sufficient support for the bladder and urethra, stress incontinence can develop. A weak pelvic floor can be hereditary, or you can get it through pregnancy and childbirth, prolonged heavy lifting or strenuous exercise, a lot of coughing, the menopause, estrogen deficiency or serious obesity. Fortunately, you can also ensure that your pelvic floor becomes stronger (again).

Train your pelvic floor muscles
By training your pelvic floor muscles, your pelvic floor becomes stronger. But do the right exercises! For example, interrupting urination (dash urination) is not a good exercise. This achieves just the opposite.

Exercises that tighten the gluteal, thigh, back and abdominal muscles are good in themselves, but have little effect on the pelvic floor.

Correct exercises
Under the guidance of a specialized physiotherapist, you can learn to consciously use your pelvic floor muscles, which prevents or reduces unwanted urine loss.

In addition, a major manufacturer of incontinence products offers a free training program for the pelvic floor muscles developed by experts: Corewellness. According to the compilers of this training, stress incontinence disappears in most women by doing the right pelvic floor muscle exercises.

Tools
A prolapsed bladder or urethra can be returned to the correct place by means of a ring (pessary). Very simple, you do not feel the ring and the complaints are gone.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t work for everyone. It depends on the strength of the pelvic floor. For women who only have problems during exercise, inserting a (wet) tampon may be sufficient. The transition between bladder and urethra is then pushed upwards. A doctor can advise on this.

Possibility of operation
If exercises or other aids prove insufficient, surgery by a gynecologist or urologist is possible. Two new surgical techniques are being used in more and more hospitals: a urethra strap and a hammock in the pelvis.

Carrying strap for the urethra
TVT stands for tension-free vaginal tape. During the operation, the doctor pulls the urethra, which has sunk down, upwards with TVT, so that the urine flows out of the bladder less easily.

The strap is inserted through the vagina and placed behind the pubic bone under the skin on the pubic bone. After the operation, the band will grow back on its own. For women who had their first TVT surgeries five years ago, the improvements so far have been permanent.

Hammock in the pelvis
In addition to TVT, applying an intravaginal sling (IVS) is a possible solution. This works the same, only now it concerns a mat of special mesh, so that a little more support can be offered.

This ‘hammock’ is also inserted through the vagina and then anchored in the pelvis in four places. Because the gauze grows together, the bladder, vagina or rectum (in case of faecal incontinence) remain in place.

Chance of succeeding
After the necessary examinations, a gynecologist or urologist determines in advance whether an operation is possible and can remedy the complaints. After the operation, a few days in the hospital and a number of check-up visits are needed.

In about 86 percent of all operated women, the loss of urine disappears completely and in 8 percent it is clearly reduced. An operation as a last resort therefore has a decent chance of success, but is no guarantee of success.