Bladder suspension refers to the surgery that helps place a sagging bladder back into its normal position.

What is it?

Bladder suspension surgery is a procedure that can be used to treat urine leakage that occurs when a person sneezes, laughs, or coughs, a condition called stress incontinence. Childbirth, as well as hormonal changes that come with menopause, can cause a woman to lose muscle tone along the pelvic floor. That can lead to stress incontinence and, if you decide to do it, bladder suspension surgery.

Your doctor may recommend bladder suspension surgery if you have moderate to severe stress incontinence that does not get better with non-invasive treatments such as Kegel exercises, medications, and electrical stimulation.

For example, bladder suspension surgery may be an option if you develop stress incontinence because of childbirth, menopause, and problems with the muscles in the bladder and urethra, and surgery. Before considering bladder suspension surgery, make sure your symptoms are actually brought on by stress incontinence. If need be, seek a second opinion. Bladder suspension surgery only helps treat stress incontinence. It is not helpful for other forms of incontinence.

Surgical Options

There are different ways to place the bladder back to its normal position. Bladder suspension surgical techniques include:

Open retropubic suspension surgery involves pulling up the bladder neck and sewing it to the surrounding bone or tissue with sutures. It is a form of abdominal surgery. The surgeon makes an incision in the belly area a few inches below the belly button and locates the bladder and urethra, the tube through which urine flows out of the body. The procedure improves symptoms of stress incontinence that result from sagging of the bladder neck or urethra.

Laparoscopic retropubic suspension surgery has been around since the early 1990s. It uses a smaller incision than the open procedure. However, some studies show that laparoscopic bladder suspension results in a higher complication rate and that the open technique tends to produce higher cure rates. Recent research suggests that these procedures could allow for a speedier recovery and offer other advantages, but more research is needed to check long-term safety and effectiveness.

Needle bladder neck suspension surgery may be done through the abdomen or vagina. However, it does not appear to work as well as stress incontinence surgeries that are done through the abdominal wall.

Sling surgery uses a piece of body tissue, called fascia, or a manmade material, to create a sling or hammock-like structure that cradles the sagging bladder neck. This supports the bladder neck and urethra. You can use your own tissue for surgery (removed from your abdomen wall, typically) or donated tissue.

You and your doctor will discuss which procedure is best for you. Your doctor will consider the following factors when choosing your procedure: Other health conditions you may have, the anatomy of your urinary tract and surrounding structures, and the surgeon’s experience. Open retropubic suspension surgery and sling surgery require a hospital stay. The insertion of mesh slings to support the urethra can be done as an outpatient procedure.

How successful is it?

Bladder suspension surgery works well to treat stress urinary incontinence in most cases. Success rates for open retropubic suspension surgery range from 85 percent to 90 percent. However, the effects don’t last forever. Symptoms can return over time, usually after about five years. Success rates also drop as the number of bladder suspension surgeries you have to go up.

What is the Recovery Time?

How fast you recover depends on the specific procedure. Open retropubic suspension surgery is done under general anesthesia and requires a hospital stay. The surgery itself takes about one hour, but discomfort can last up to six weeks. Some sling procedures may be done after local anesthesia in an outpatient clinic. In general, recovery times are longer for procedures done through the abdomen and shorter for those done through the vagina or via laparoscopic incisions.

Know that the most common reason for complications in this situation is a misdiagnosis or symptoms that don’t get to the attention of a doctor. If you’re feeling like Bladder Suspension could be the right procedure for you, contact Doctors Miklos and Moore today to set up a consultation appointment.