Houston Methodist San Jacinto offers treatments for incontinence – The Baytown Sun

Studies show that more than 50 percent of older Americans struggle with urinary incontinence, but Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital urologist Olubayo Tojuola, MD, says current treatment options provide hope for patients seeking to improve their quality of life.

A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report shows that nearly 51 percent of people over 65 experience some degree of incontinence defined as an involuntary leakage of urine. According to the National Association for Continence, about 25 million Americans have either chronic or periodic urinary incontinence. The condition is more prevalent in women than men.

Women experience incontinence more than men for a variety of reasons, Tojuola said. Women who have had a hysterectomy or multiple vaginal deliveries are susceptible to this condition. Age is also a factor, as the pelvic floor muscles weaken over time and can begin to leak.

In men, Tojuola says its not uncommon for incontinence to develop following prostate surgery, including a procedure called a transurethral resection, which seeks to address an enlarged prostate. The prostate may enlarge with age and become a source of obstruction. It may also afflict men who have had prostate cancer and undergone a prostatectomy (removal of all or part of the prostate).

Male and female patients diagnosed with neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinsons disease, as well as those with spinal cord injuries and nerve damage, may also develop incontinence.

Tojuola said there are generally two types of the condition: stress and urge incontinence. Stress incontinence occurs when the pelvic muscles are too weak and allow urine to leak, while urge incontinence is typified by an overactive bladder that leads to a constant feeling of having to go to the bathroom that may be caused by the bladder not fully emptying. This may result in a sudden need to urinate followed by an involuntary bladder contraction and loss of urine. In both men and women, treatment options depend on the type of incontinence diagnosed.

Its important to get a good medical history of the patient to discuss what their symptoms are so I can identify what may be causing the issue, Tojuola said. Once I determine what the inciting factor may be, we can proceed along a treatment pathway.

Treatment options may include medications to shrink the prostate, pelvic floor therapy to strengthen the pelvic muscles, Botox injections to treat overactive bladder, and a variety of surgical procedures, including the TUR procedure, and the implantation of devices designed to correct the cause of the leakage.

Tojuola says with the exception of severe urine retention issues that can lead to renal failure, incontinence is not a condition that can result in grave outcomes, but it is a quality of life issue. While it certainly can be an embarrassing topic to discuss even with your doctor he says by the time patients make an appointment to see him, it has reached an unsustainable point.

I see most patients after it has begun to affect their day-to-day life, Tojuola said. Because of the embarrassment it can cause in public situations, they realize they need to see a doctor to talk about it. Once theyve made that decision, theyre fairly comfortable talking about it.

For more on incontinence and to schedule an appointment with a Houston Methodist San Jacinto Hospital urologist, call 832-556-6046.

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Houston Methodist San Jacinto offers treatments for incontinence - The Baytown Sun