"I'm the one who mows the lawn at my house." For 67-year-old Barbara Calvert, mowing isn't a chore. It's something she waited decades to do.
"Not able to always get the mower started or wasn't before because of the pulling and the pressure." It's a condition that usually happens to seniors, but Barbara struggled with bladder control problems since her 20's. "To me that was just a normal part of having had two children."
It stopped being normal when she started feeling like a prisoner in her own home. "It was kind of, do I really want to go to this event tonight."
For years, Barbara resisted surgery. "I decided against that because of the pain and the down time. Losing anywhere from two to six weeks of work, not being able to pick up the grandchildren." Traditional surgeries are done in the o-r and leave behind sutures and pieces of mesh or other material. "They are foreign objects and some people don't tolerate foreign objects and they can be rejected"
In a new surgery, doctors uses radiofrequency to tighten muscles around the bladder, no incisions required. "Under local anesthesia, done in the office, generally takes approximately 15-20 minutes." Patients see results in two to four months. It's the solution Barbara had waited years for. "Finished the procedure, came and sat at my desk at the office, started answering phones."
Now she spends her free time the way she wants to. "It's changed my whole life completely." Enjoying the small things ... and looking forward to a worry-free future.
Doctor Jacob has seen a success rate of 70-percent with the less-invasive procedure, which he says includes both improvements and complete cures. To qualify for the procedure, a woman must suffer from a condition called stress incontinence, triggered by activities like running and coughing.
BACKGROUND: In 2006, nearly 400,000 women in the United States underwent a surgical procedure to correct stress urinary incontinence (SUI), and experts expect that number to grow over the next several years. SUI is a condition that that causes involuntary leakage of urine during activities like laughing, coughing, sneezing and exercise or recreational activities. One of the biggest risk factors for the condition is childbirth. This is because childbirth sometimes causes nerve damage to the pelvic floor muscles. SUI resulting from this damage may begin soon after delivery or years later. According to the Mayo Clinic, other risk factors for the condition include aging, menopause, obesity and previous pelvic surgery like a hysterectomy.
TREATMENTS: To treat stress urinary incontinence, doctors usually recommend behavior therapies first. Depending on the circumstances, these can include weight loss, smoking cessation, increased water intake and pelvic floor exercises called Kegels. Anticholigernics, or medicines that help relax bladder muscles, help some women with SUI. Side effects of the drugs include dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, rapid heartbeat and flushing. Devices like a vaginal pessary -- a ring-shaped device that helps support the bladder -- offer relief to other women.
When behavior changes don't work, some women opt for surgery. Surgical options used in the treatment of SUI include suspension and sling procedures. In suspension, surgeons use surgical threads to help support the bladder neck. In the most common type of the procedure, an incision is made in the abdomen a few inches below the navel. Through that incision, the surgeon secures threads to strong ligaments within the pelvis. In sling procedures, surgeons place synthetic mesh materials midway along the urethra. They place the materials through several small incisions. Suspension and sling procedures are performed under either spinal/epidural anesthesia or general anesthesia.
Recent research performed by the Urinary Incontinence Treatment Network found two years after suspension or sling procedures, about two-thirds of women with a sling and about half of those with a suspension were cured of SUI (Source: National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Disease). Overall, 86 percent of women with a sling and 78 percent of women with a suspension said they were satisfied with the surgery results.
A SURGERY-FREE OPTION: During a new treatment called the Renessa System, doctors use a small probe to pass through the natural opening of the urethra while the patient is under local anesthesia. The probe is then used to heat several small sites at the bladder neck and upper urethra. The treatments cause the collagen in the tissue to "reorganize." When the sites heal, the tissue is firmer and more resistant to leakage. Doctors hope to use the Renessa procedure in the future to improve results after non-successful surgeries for SUI. Experts estimate that over the next five years, about 700,000 women will experience sub-optimal results after such surgeries.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Novasys Medical
(866) 784-4777
info@novasysmedical.com
