Millions of women silently worry about urine leaks in their daily lives. Some wear dark pants to hide potential leaks. Some avoid strenuous exercise that might cause a leak. Some resort to hiding pads and urinary incontinence products under multiple layers of clothing.
If any of this sounds familiar, know that you are not alone. Although it’s not frequently discussed; up to 50% of adult women experience urinary incontinence at some point in their lives.
At Amy Brenner MD & Associates, we are here to break the silence around urinary incontinence and help you return to a leak-free and worry-free life!
If you’re ready to tackle urinary incontinence right now, schedule an appointment to discuss your treatment options.
What are my treatment options?
At Amy Brenner MD & Associates, patients often ask if we offer a bladder leakage treatment in Cincinnati. Fortunately, we provide several treatments for sexual wellness and urinary incontinence to improve this condition!
At-Home: Kegel Exercises
If you have weak arm muscles, you can exercise your biceps to get stronger. Similarly, if you have weak pelvic floor muscles, you can do exercises to strengthen the muscles of your urinary sphincters (responsible for holding in urine).
While kegel exercises can effectively strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, it’s not a quick or easy solution. Just like building the muscles in your arms or abs, it will take time, discipline, and effort to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles.
Kegel exercises are an excellent option for some, but other patients are looking for a faster and easier solution to solve the problem. Next, let’s talk about non-invasive treatments that can quickly and painlessly treat urinary incontinence.
Professional bladder leakage treatments in Cincinnati:
O-Shot®
O-Shot® is a treatment that was initially developed for women with sexual dysfunction. However, patients who received this treatment began noticing a significant improvement in their bladder control. Now, the O-Shot® is routinely used to treat stress urinary incontinence.
How does it work?
The O-Shot® uses a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) serum taken from the patient’s own blood sample. When the serum is injected into the treatment area, the growth factors in PRP prompt new cell growth and tissue regeneration. This new tissue growth can help support the bladder and urethra, giving you more control over incontinence.
What are the benefits?
Patients can experience many benefits from the O-Shot®, including:
- Greater control over urinary incontinence
- Stronger and more frequent orgasms
- Increased libido
- Increased lubrication
- A rejuvenated appearance of the vulva
- Decreased pain during intercourse
What are the risks?
Side effects from the O-Shot® are minimal to none. Some patients report feeling a fullness down there immediately after the procedure and you may experience more frequent urination or spotting in the days following the injection, but side effects should fade quickly.
What is the downtime?
O-Shot® is a non-invasive treatment with no downtime! You can return to your normal activities (even sex) on the same day as your treatment.
Votiva
Votiva is an FDA-cleared device that uses radio frequency to treat stress incontinence and female sexual dysfunction.
How does it work?
Votiva is a painless treatment that uses radio frequency to gently heat the vaginal and vulvar tissues to promote new collagen and elastin formation. Over time, this increases vulvar/vaginal tightness and strengthens the tissues that support your pelvic floor muscles and bladder control.
What are the benefits?
Similar to the O-Shot®, Votiva can treat more than just urinary incontinence. Women can experience the following benefits from Votiva:
- Improved bladder control
- Tighter vaginal canal and rejuvenated vulva
- Increased sexual gratification
- Increased lubrication
What are the risks?
Very few risks are associated with Votiva if you receive treatment from an experienced Votiva provider.
Anyone can get Votiva, but for patients with vaginal atrophy, HRT from a hormone specialist near you might be necessary before internal treatment.
What is the downtime?
Votiva is a non-invasive treatment with no downtime; however, we suggest holding off on sexual activity for 2-3 days following treatment.
Femilift®
Femilift® uses CO2 laser technology for vaginal rejuvenation. If you want drastic results from a bladder leakage treatment in Cincinnati, you can pair Femilift® with O-Shot®.
How does it work?
Femilift® delivers controlled CO2 energy to the vagina to stimulate collagen formation and remodel the tissue. This new, stronger tissue helps support the base of the bladder to reduce leaks. It can treat both internal and external areas in as little as 10-15 minutes! We make sure you are comfortable during this treatment by providing ProNox (nitrous oxide) and topical numbing.
What are the benefits?
Benefits of Femilift® include:
- Relief from stress urinary incontinence
- Improved lubrication
- Improved vaginal tone and elasticity
- Decreased pain during intercourse
What are the risks?
There are minimal risks associated with Femilift®. You might experience side effects like itching, swelling, or bruising, but they should disappear within days.
What is the downtime?
Femilift® is a non-invasive treatment with no downtime; however, we suggest you avoid sexual intimacy for 7 days following treatment.
In-office surgery option
Bladder sling surgery
Sling surgery is the most common surgery to treat urinary stress incontinence.
How does it work?
Bladder sling procedures use synthetic mesh to create a sling, similar to a hammock. The sling supports the urethra to stay closed when there is pressure on the bladder. Sling surgery requires anesthesia for one small vaginal incision, but the procedure only takes a few minutes to complete in total.
Benefits of bladder sling:
- Treats urinary incontinence quickly
- Highly effective in most cases
- Less invasive than other surgical urinary incontinence treatments
What are the risks?
Complications from bladder sling surgery are rare. These could include temporary difficulty urinating, difficult or painful sex, groin pain, UTI, or wound infection.
What is the downtime?
Most patients do not require pain medications and return to work the next day.
Am I a candidate for a bladder sling?
If you are considering bladder sling surgery, our team will complete urodynamic testing to determine the severity of your stress incontinence.
Here’s how urodynamic testing works:
- You come to the office with a full bladder
- We record how long it takes for your bladder to empty
- We insert a catheter to ensure your bladder is completely empty
- We put in a new catheter to fill the bladder with saline
- We will ask you to cough or laugh
- We determine how quickly your stress incontinence occurs
Outcomes from urodynamic testing will determine if you are a candidate for bladder sling surgery. Urodynamics testing is only required for patients interested in surgery, not for patients interested in O-Shot®, Votiva, or Femilift®.
What is urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is the leaking of urine that you can’t control. It is a common condition that both men and women can experience.
Although many people deal with urinary incontinence, it’s important to know that it is not a normal part of aging. Thanks to several effective treatments, you no longer have to put up with urinary incontinence.
What are the types of urinary incontinence?
Before selecting a treatment, it’s important to understand that there are 5 types of urinary incontinence, all with different causes. At Amy Brenner MD & Associates, we can help you determine the type of incontinence you have, why you have it, and recommend the most effective treatment option for you.
Stress incontinence
Stress incontinence is one of the most common types of incontinence that women experience, and it will be the primary focus of information on bladder leakage treatment in Cincinnati below.
Typically, the muscles of your pelvic floor hold urine in the bladder. If pressure is applied to your bladder, these muscles contract and keep the urine in. However, people with stress incontinence have weak or damaged pelvic floor muscles. When these muscles are weak, they aren’t able to keep the urine in when the bladder is under pressure.
Stress incontinence is likely to blame if you leak urine when you cough, sneeze, laugh, or exercise. Fortunately, there are several treatments for stress incontinence at Amy Brenner MD & Associates that we’ll discuss in-depth below.
Urge incontinence
Urge incontinence is another common type of urinary incontinence. Some people refer to it as an “overactive bladder.” If you experience sudden, overwhelming urges to urinate followed by urine loss before reaching a bathroom, you likely have urge incontinence.
Urge incontinence can negatively impact your overall confidence and well-being. For some people, it can lead to a fear of going out in public. It’s important that you bring up urinary incontinence and related concerns with your doctor.
Mixed incontinence
It’s possible to have symptoms of both urge incontinence and stress incontinence. This is referred to as “mixed incontinence.” Mixed incontinence can be challenging to treat, so discussing your symptoms with a team of experts is essential for an effective treatment plan.
Overflow incontinence
Overflow incontinence happens when your bladder doesn’t empty completely. It is also called an “underactive bladder.” When your bladder fills up, you won’t feel the urge to urinate. This causes the bladder to overfill and leak urine. Overflow incontinence is more common in men due to prostate-related conditions, but it can also affect certain women.
Functional incontinence
Functional incontinence is when urine leaks because you are unable to reach a bathroom in time. It is usually the result of a condition getting in the way. Functional incontinence could be due to problems with thinking or communicating (like for a person with Alzheimer’s,) medications that cause grogginess, or neurological conditions that make getting to the bathroom more challenging and/or time-consuming.
Stress incontinence
Now we’ll dive deeper into one of the most common and easily treated forms of urinary incontinence.
Why does it happen?
Stress incontinence happens because of weak pelvic floor muscles. When these muscles are weak, any sudden pressure on the bladder can cause urine to leak out.
People of all ages can experience stress incontinence, but the condition is most common in women who have the following risk factors:
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Obesity
- Menopause
- Pelvic surgery
- Chronic coughing
- Diabetes
- Nerve injuries to the pelvis
Stress incontinence can range in severity. On the mild end, you might lose a few drops of urine during strenuous activities. On the severe end, you might lose a significant amount of urine when just standing up or bending over. Regardless of the severity, if stress incontinence is negatively affecting your life, it’s time to consider your treatment options.
Related: How To Stop Peeing When I Cough
Visit Amy Brenner, MD & Associates for Bladder Leakage Treatment in Cincinnati
Patients from all over the country visit us for expert, transformative wellness services. We always work hard to create a personalized treatment plan for your needs. If you are tired of dealing with urinary incontinence, our team of experts is here to help you find a solution.
As a medspa and medical practice in Mason, Ohio, we have the unique ability to not only boost your overall health, but also to enhance your outer beauty with aesthetic treatments. We offer a warm, friendly environment while providing the highest quality aesthetic treatments and wellness plans to help you look great and feel great.
Get started today by using our virtual consultation tool or by scheduling an appointment online.