Atlanta Center for Laparoscopic Urogynecology
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Types of Urinary Incontinence
Incontinence
Overflow Incontinence
Overflow incontinence occurs due to an inability to completely empty the bladder. There is a constant or frequent small amount of urine leakage. Essentially, the bladder becomes overfilled and the urine leaks out because the bladder can no longer maintain any more urine. A simple analogy would be like water seeping over the top of a dam because it has met its capacity. Patients may experience:
- Frequent night time urination
- Taking a long time to urinate
- Dribbling stream with little force
- Urinating small amounts and not feeling completely empty afterward
Mixed Incontinence
Many patients have a combination of incontinence types. Especially prevalent are patients with both stress incontinence and urge incontinence. These patients experience symptoms of:
- Leakage with cough, sneeze and rise of abdomen pressure
- Leakage which is sudden and with little warning
- Frequent daytime urination
- Urgency
- Etc. …please see above for other symptoms
Fistula Incontinence
A fistula is defined as an abnormal connection between two organs lined with some type of skin. Fistula incontinence is most commonly forms between the bladder or urethra and the vagina. Though fistula incontinence uncommon in developed countries such as the United States it can occur after surgical trauma, pelvic cancer, pelvic radiation therapy and obstetric trauma. Patients may experience.
- Continuous urine leakage
- Leakage with cough, sneezing, or rise of abdominal pressure
- Uncontrollable leakage
