Many women suffer from troubling incontinence issues, which can be caused by a wide variety of conditions. Dr. Lyndon and his expert team at Healthcare for Women provide discreet and effective treatments to women from in and around the Oak Park area of Chicago, Illinois.
Incontinence can be caused by many reasons. One of the most common forms is urinary incontinence. This involves the inability to hold urine in the bladder due to loss of control or weakened muscles.
Urethral slings are used as a minimally invasive option to treat incontinence issues. Urinary incontinence slings, known as urethral support slings by specialists, are soft and flexible surgical mesh systems that cradle the urethra like a hammock, providing additional support and helping to restore it to its normal anatomical position. Urethral support slings are proving to be an effective surgical procedure for stress urinary incontinence. Benefits of urethral slings include:
While each sling procedure varies slightly, placing the mesh generally involves a small incision made in the vagina, the abdomen, or where the top of where your thigh meets your pelvic area. The mesh is threaded through the incision and positioned under the urethra to form a cradle of support. The mesh allows your body tissues to grow into it, providing support to your urethra and securing the mesh in place.
Following your sling procedure, your doctor may also advise the following:
While some surgical mesh products are more flexible and porous than others, they all serve the same purpose—to restore the urethra to its correct anatomical position. However, some surgical mesh products are more effective than others. Be sure to ask your doctor about the product she/he recommends.