Bladder and urethral repair
| Normal anatomy |
|
Bladder and urethral repair is usually performed to prevent
urine leakage associated with stress incontinence.
Stress incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine when
laughing, coughing, sneezing, or lifting, which can result from
deformity or damage to the urethra and bladder from decreased
muscle tone caused by multiple births, menopause, or other
problems.
|
| Procedure |
|
While the patient is deeply asleep and pain-free (general
anesthesia), the surgeon elevates the bladder neck (pubococcygeal
muscle) by stitching it and the urethra to the anterior (front)
pubic bone.
After surgery, the patient will have a urinary catheter in
place. The urine may initially appear bloody, but this should
gradually resolve. The catheter may be removed several days after
surgery so that the patient is able to completely empty the
bladder. Often a suprapubic catheter will need to remain in place
for as long as 3 months, depending on the person's ability to empty
the bladder completely.
|
| Aftercare |
|
The amount of time it takes to recover from surgery depends on
the individual.
|
Review Date: 6/8/2008
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief; Associate Professor
of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts
General Hospital.
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