Stress Urinary Incontinence
Leaking of urine with coughing, sneezing, jumping or laughing is common and bothersome to many women. It occurs most often with weakening of the muscles and tissues surrounding the bladder and urethra after childbirth. Aging, hormones, and pelvic surgery can make the condition worse. Pelvic floor exercises are easy to perform and may help. Surgery, including sling procedures, can be a definitive solution. Many women are interested in non-invasive solutions that do not require a recovery period. We offer the FemiLift procedure, a laser treatment that stimulates collagen in the vaginal wall and around the urethra. For optimum results, the procedure is performed in three monthly stages, each taking only ten minutes. Our patients report improvement in symptoms and severity of stress urinary incontinence in the weeks following FemiLift.
How common is urinary incontinence?
Urinary incontinence is under reported and is extremely common. It will affect 2 out of 3 three women. It mostly occurs in women and is common after vaginal deliveries. Decreasing levels of oestrogen can also contribute to changes in the tissues that lead to incontinence.
Why don’t women talk more about urinary incontinence?
Most women don’t discuss their problems of urinary incontinence with their doctors: about 75% keep it to themselves. Although many women are embarrassed, it should not be considered a taboo subject because most women suffer from urinary incontinence. There are several options to treat the condition now so it is very likely and hopeful that more women will be open about urinary incontinence soon.
Do Kegel exercises work?
Yes. Studies show that pelvic floor exercises do work and are a good first line therapy to deal with urinary incontinence. Many women do still have problems, however, despite these exercises.
Does what I eat matter?
In urge incontinence, foods such as alcohol, caffeine, spicy food, fizzy drinks and even chocolate can stimulate the bladder and make urge incontinence worse. However, stress incontinence is different and caused when the pressure around the bladder (eg. when coughing or jumping) overcomes the pressure in the urethra and leakage occurs.
What happens during the FemiLift procedure?
During the 10-minute procedure, the laser probe is gently inserted into the vagina. Laser energy is emitted that painlessly heats and stimulates the collagen in the vaginal tissues surrounding the bladder and urethra. Collagen remodelling and stimulation helps support the urethra, improving symptoms of stress urinary incontinence in many women after three FemiLift treatments.