Decreasing Habitual Drinking
August 8, 2014
Avoiding Excessive Fluid Intake Wherever you look these days, someone is telling you to drink 8 glasses of water a day. This is one of the reasons many women with OAB carry a water bottle with them most of the time and sip fluid throughout the day. We refer to this as habitual drinking. Habitual drinking is drinking out of […]
What is a Sling Excision?
May 28, 2014
Mid-urethral sling is the treatment of choice for stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The sling provides support to the urethra, preventing leakage with physical stress or urethral mobility. Urodynamics (an in-office bladder study) is done prior to surgery to determine how tight or how loose to make the sling. More severe SUI is treated with a tighter sling, minimal or standard […]
Do I Need a Mid-Urethral Sling if I Only Leak on Occasion?
April 30, 2014
You came in for a vaginal bulge and you only leak every once in a while when you cough or sneeze but it doesn’t really bother you…so why did we recommend prolapse repair with a mid-urethral sling (TVT)? When the bladder drops (cystocele) or the uterus protrudes down into the vagina (uterine prolapse), sometimes this kinks the urethra and decreases […]
Nonsurgical Treatment of Urinary Incontinence
April 4, 2014
There are three types of urinary incontinence: stress urinary incontinence (SUI), urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) and mixed urinary incontinence (MUI). Stress urinary incontinence occurs when there is a physical stressor such as coughing, sneezing, running or exercise. Urgency urinary incontinence is when one experiences a strong urgency to urinate and is not able to defer or wait until she gets […]
What is a Prophylactic Sling?
December 10, 2013
A tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) is a mid-urethral sling placed around the urethra to treat stress urinary incontinence (SUI). When women present with concurrent prolapse (cystocele, enterocele, uterine prolapse or rectocele) and SUI, the surgical treatment is da Vinci sacrocolpopexy with TVT or vaginal prolapse repair with TVT. In some cases, women present with a significant prolapse without SUI by […]
InterStim for Fecal Incontinence
December 3, 2013
InterStim treats fecal incontinence by controlling the nerves that innervate the muscles that control continence. The two muscles that maintain continence of stool and gas are the internal anal sphincter and the external anal sphincter. Injury to either or both muscles during childbirth can result in fecal incontinence. Direct injury is the result of trauma to the muscles. Indirect injury […]
InTone Will Now be Offered at Austin Urogynecology!
August 1, 2013
InTone is a treatment option for some patients with urinary urgency, urgency incontinence or stress urinary incontinence. Women are given instruction in the office how to use the device, and then are able to practice exercises at home. Automated verbal instructions are provided by the InTone device during exercises. InTone is fully covered by some insurance plans including Medicare and […]
What is Post Void Residual?
July 8, 2013
Post Void Residual (PVR) is the amount of urine left in the bladder after urination. PVR can be measured by bladder ultrasound or by catheterization. We routinely check a PVR on new patients being evaluated for cystocele (bladder prolapse), urinary incontinence or urinary retention or if there is any question of incomplete bladder emptying. This is a quick and easy […]
Kegel Exercises for Urgency Incontinence
July 1, 2013
Urgency urinary incontinence is a sense of urinary urgency with the inability to defer urination or make it to the bathroom in time. Treatment may include bladder training, pelvic muscle exercises, physical therapy, medications, or InterStim. Pelvic muscle exercises or kegels help to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles which can aid in decreasing urinary leakage as well as preventing worsening […]
What is InTone for bladder control?
March 29, 2013
InTone is a device used intravaginally to reduce or treat urinary incontinence through pelvic floor muscle stimulation and biofeedback. InTone is available by prescription and costs around $600. The device is aimed to strengthen pelvic floor muscles as well as to calm the detrusor muscle of the bladder. Optimal treatment is based on a patient’s history, physical exam and often […]