Sling Operation for Bladder Control
It is the next option of patients to resort into surgical procedures when medications and other non-surgical therapies failed.
Many surgical procedures have been developed but only a few were found to be effective. Weakening of the pelvic floor muscles may displace the vagina even up to the outside of the vaginal opening. Surgical procedures for bladder control require complete physical examination as to what type of surgery will be right for you.
The advantages and disadvantages of the procedure are essential in selecting the most effective type of surgery.
One option is the sling operation for bladder control. Sling operation prevents and repairs urine flow leakage. It is usually used to treat women with stress continence or urine leak after a run, strain, coughing or other stress related events. Mid-urethral retro-pubic slings, pubo-vaginal slings trans-obturator slings and the current version called tension-free vaginal tape were common examples of sling operations.
The benefit of sling operation is maintaining balance between complete emptying and avoiding urine leakage during stress-related activities with minimal invasive procedure.
There are two kinds of sling materials, the synthetic and the organic type. Synthetic slings are sold in prepackaged kits. They are readily available and inexpensive.
These slings are durable and do not break over time. However, synthetic slings have higher risk for infection. Organic slings have low infection risk and help rebuild the tissue. The disadvantage is that the body may break the organic sling and disease transmission is a major concern.
The operation can be done by inserting the slings in the vagina or the abdomen by creating a very small incision about one centimeter long.
A laparoscope was inserted through the incision above the pubic hairline and in the belly button. The sling inserted acts like a hanging bed that give support under the urethra. It prevents movement of the urethra when it falls, therefore preventing leakage. The complication is minimal and recovery is fast usually about a week.
