Women’s Health

Bladder Dysfunction

Find expert diagnosis and specialized care so bladder dysfunction doesn’t interrupt your life.

Overview

Do you have accidental leakages of urine when you laugh, sneeze, cough or exercise? If so, it can be embarrassing and awkward to talk about. But, it’s time to get your life back. Bladder dysfunction (or urinary incontinence) can feel isolating, but you’re not alone, with about half of all women and 25 percent of all men experiencing it. And the good news is, it’s treatable.

We can help you regain your quality of life with specialty-trained experts using leading-edge diagnosis and treatment, such as those offered at our state-of-the-art Pelvic Floor Center.

Women face different types of bladder dysfunction, including:

Functional—a mental or physical problem that prevents a person from getting to a bathroom in time
Overactive bladder—frequent urination and urgency
Overflow—leakage of small amounts of urine because of a full bladder
Stress—leakage of small amounts of urine while coughing, sneezing, exercising or laughing
Temporary—leakage that occurs temporarily because of an infection, illness or medication change 
Urge—leakage of large amounts of urine at unexpected times, including during sleep

Causes & Risk Factors

We will take a family history and history of your urinary issues to help pinpoint the cause of your bladder dysfunction, which could include:

Bladder irritation
Blocked urethra
Nerve damage or neurological diseases
Overactive bladder (sudden, uncontrollable urge to urinate)
Poor health
Prior bladder or pelvic surgery
Prolapsed bladder (the bladder drops into the vagina)
Side effect of medication
Urinary tract infections
Vaginal childbirth
Weakness of muscles in the bladder and surrounding area

Factors that could increase your risk include:

Age
Bladder disease
Chronic constipation
Diabetes
Disability or impaired mobility
Hysterectomy
Menopause
Neurologic disease
Obesity
Pregnancy
Smoking
Spinal cord injury
Surgery or radiation therapy to the pelvis

Symptoms & Seeking Care

Fear of the unknown may lead you to ignore common symptoms and delay treatment. Your symptoms tell your doctor what kind of urinary incontinence you may have. 

Common symptoms of bladder dysfunction are:

A strong urge to urinate
Burning pain combined with urge to go 
Involuntary loss of urine 
Leaking urine while asleep
Painful urination
Sudden urges to go to the bathroom
Urinating more often than usual 
Waking from sleep to urinate

Bladder dysfunction is very common in women older than 50 years of age and women who have just given birth.

If you have noticed any of these changes, it's time to make an appointment with your doctor.

Have bladder control problems that have started suddenly
Have involuntary release of urine enough to alter your daily lifestyle
Are avoiding sexual intercourse for fear of leaking urine
Need to lie down to relieve a heavy pressure in your pelvic region

Diagnosis

Our expert will talk with you about your signs and symptoms and may ask you to keep a bladder diary. During a pelvic exam, your doctor will look for any structural problems. A "cough test" may be done during the exam to see if you have urine leakage.

Leading-Edge Diagnostic Tools

Common diagnostic tests to determine the cause of bladder dysfunction include:

Bladder stress test—simulates the accidental release of urine by coughing, sneezing, or lifting
Cystoscopy—a scope with a tiny camera sees inside the urethra and bladder
Ultrasound—uses high-frequency sound waves to capture live images from the inside of your body
Urinalysis—a urine sample is taken to check for the presence of a disease or condition
Urine culture—tests for a urinary tract infection
Urodynamics—measures pressure in the bladder and the flow of urine

Treatment

We offer a range of the most advanced treatments available, and we work with you to develop a care plan that meets your needs and goals so you can get your quality of life back.

Treatment depends on your range of incontinence. The first line of treatment is typically medical. You'll start with the least invasive treatment options before discussing surgery.

A combination of these treatments may improve your urinary incontinence:

Behavioral techniques—changing your habits around bathroom use or teaching new skills to improve bladder control
Bladder training—including fluid management, dietary changes, urge control and suppression strategies
Bulking agents—injection of material into the bladder neck and urethra to treat involuntary leakage
Catheter—thin tube inserted through urethra and into bladder for urine drainage
Medications—over-the-counter or prescription medicine
Pelvic floor exercises—to help strengthen muscles that control urine flow
Pelvic floor electrical stimulation—mild electrical current that activates pelvic floor muscles to strengthen ability to control urine flow
Removable device designed to support the bladder—device inserted into vagina to support urethra

When medicine, lifestyle changes and other non-invasive treatments cannot ease your symptoms, we may recommend surgery. Talk to your provider to get the facts if you are apprehensive about surgery.

We can help manage your anxiety, and we specialize in minimally invasive procedures that offer minimal pain, low levels of complications and fast recovery times, so you can get back to what you enjoy sooner.

Surgical treatments that may be recommended for bladder dysfunction or incontinence include:

Bladder neck suspension—helps place a sagging bladder back into its normal position 
Minimally invasive bladder repair—a surgery using small incisions to repair weak pelvic muscles or damaged urethra
Vaginal sling (conventional and tension free)—uses tissue or a synthetic mesh to help close the urethra and bladder neck

Your surgery may be performed at our state-of-the-art Women’s Surgery Center, which is specifically designed for women and features innovative technology such as the da Vinci surgical system for robotic-assisted gynecologic surgery.