Urinary incontinence or urinary leakage affects millions of men ever year. This condition can not only be physically uncomfortable, it can also cause severe embarrassment to the patient. There are multiple types of urinary leakage and each has a different root cause, requiring differentiated treatment. When seen by Dr. McCraw, a thorough work-up will be performed utilizing state-of-the-art technology to determine the exact cause of your incontinence problem. This will help determine the best course of action for your specific problem.
Types of Urinary Incontinence
Urologists typically treat two main types of urinary incontinence: Urinary Urge Incontinence (Overactive Bladder) and Stress Urinary Incontinence.
- Urinary Urge Incontinence – This type of urinary incontinence is caused by over-activity of the bladder muscle. The bladder contracts without permission from the patient, causing a sudden urge to void. The volume of urine leakage associated with this type of incontinence can vary from minor to very large. Urinary Urge incontinence can be caused by a wide variety of conditions varying from simple infections to side-effects associated prostate cancer treatments (such as radiation therapy.)
- Stress Urinary Incontinence – This type of incontinence is typically caused by decreased bladder outlet resistance due to reduced function of the urinary sphincter. This condition can be an unfortunate side-effect of pelvic surgery (such as robotic prostatectomy removal) or enlarged-prostate treatments (such as transurethral resection of the prostate or TURP.) Because of the sensitive location of the prostate, nerves and other mechanisms that assist with urinary control can become disrupted, causing urinary leakage when a patient does every activities such as sneezing, laughing, coughing or lifting.
Urinary Incontinence Treatment Options
Treatments of Urinary Urge Incontinence (Overactive Bladder) can include:
- Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy
- Oral Medications
- Botox Injections
- Neurostimulation
Treatments for Stress Urinary Incontinence can include:
- Male Urethral Slings
- Artificial Urinary Sphincters