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Operation for Incontinence (Male)
What is
Operation for Incontinence (Male)?
Incontinence is the loss of urine during
physical exertion which occurs constantly both
day and night. Incontinence originates from an
abnormal opening between the urinary tract and
the exterior. This abnormal connection is called
a fistula which is usually caused by damage to
the bladder through physical trauma. Surgical
alteration is needed in this kind of problem.
Leakage or after dribble happens subsequent to
urinating and is principally a problem in men.
Despite shaking, the last few drops of urine
stays behind in the urethra and then dribbles
out as he leaves the toilet. Fortunately, this
is not a grave problem and can be easily solved
through a simple method that can be learned in a
very short time from one's general practitioner
or continence adviser.
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Effects
of Operation for Incontinence (Male)
This
problem can most of the time, be cured, treated,
and sufficiently managed by undergoing this
procedure. It is important that this is
controlled so as not to get in the way of the
patient's healthy, productive, and active
lifestyle.
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Candidates for Operation for Incontinence (Male)
Incontinence can take various forms in men.
The most common form of incontinence is urge
incontinence wherein one has to rush to the
toilet (urgency) and possibly leak on the way.
This usually occurs and is worse in the cold
weather or if the patient hears the sound of
running water. Dribbling may also be noticed
right after passing urine. Older men usually
encounter this problem mainly because of a
blockage at the outlet of the bladder caused by
the enlargement of the prostate gland or benign
prostatic hypertrophy (BPH).
Other candidates for this procedure are men who
have had bladder problems all their lives. They
suffer from bedwetting, urge incontinence, or
passing urine frequently.
Those patients who are having problems in
holding their urine are also candidates for
surgery. This problem is usually a result of a
previous prostate operation.
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Your Consultation
During
consultation, a healthcare provider will ask
questions regarding the patient's symptoms and
the instances wherein one experience leakage of
urine. The medical and surgical history will be
asked as well as medications that the patient is
taking and the patient's habits. A comprehensive
physical exam will be done which includes
examination of the abdomen, pelvis for women,
rectum for men, and the nervous system.
Referral to a specialist who specializes in the
diagnosis and the treatment of disorders of the
urinary tract, such as a urologist, is possible.
Tests that will be performed on the patient are
dependent on the type and suspected cause of the
particular incontinence. This will be done by a
health care provider in order to choose the
appropriate treatment for the patient.
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The
Operation for Incontinence (Male) Procedure
There
are a number of operations out there for
incontinence. Operation may be needed in men
suffering from incontinence in order to
alleviate the blockage caused by a prostate that
is enlarged. Another surgical treatment that may
be utilized is the placement of an artificial
urinary sphincter (AUS). This procedure is used
for patients with an absent sphincter muscle or
a sphincter muscle that has been severely
damaged and whose problem do not respond to
simpler or more conservative treatments.
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Recovery
After
treatment and the incontinence did not improve,
let your urologist know about this during your
postoperative visit. If it got severe, you must
be referred back to your urologist immediately
so that this can be further discussed and
investigated. It is significant to establish the
reasons why you may be incontinent in order to
choose the appropriate treatment for you.
Treatment utilized may be for control of an
overactive bladder, exercises for persistent
stress incontinence, or you may be recommended
to undergo further surgery, possibly to have an
artificial sphincter implant. These treatments
can be very successful although it is still your
decision if the problem is causing trouble that
is enough to necessitate more surgery.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
What are the different types of incontinence?
A:
Classification of incontinence is dependent on
the symptoms and circumstances at the time of
the urine leakage. The following are the
different types of incontinence:
-
Stress Incontinence - Urine leaks whenever one
strains or stresses the abdomen through
coughing, laughing, sneezing, or even
walking. This could be because of poor
bladder support by the pelvic muscles or due
to a sphincter that is weak or damaged.
-
Urge
Incontinence - This is when the patient may
leak urine without any warning at all. The
patient may also feel as if he or she cannot
wait to reach a toilet. This occurs because
the overactive bladder contracts even if the
patient does not want it to do so. Infection
which irritates the bladder lining causes the
bladder to become overactive. Another cause
of an overactive bladder is damage to the
nerves that normally control it. In some
cases, the cause for incontinence is unclear.
-
Mixed Incontinence - This is a combination of
both the stress and urge incontinence.
-
Overflow Incontinence - This happens when the
bladder becomes so full that it just
overflows. The weakness of the bladder or a
blocked urethra allows this problem to occur
preventing normal emptying. This blockage
usually results in an enlarged prostate. For
this reason, this type of incontinence is more
prevalent in men than in women. On the other
hand, weakness of the bladder may develop in
both men and women but usually can be seen in
individuals with diabetes, heavy alcohol
users, and those with decreased nerve
function.
Q:
Who does have a greater chance of being
incontinent, women or men?
A:
Incontinence does not just occur in women. A
lot of men have difficulty in controlling their
urine. Studies show that 5-7% of men under
the age of 64 suffer from urinary incontinence.
On the other hand, 10-20% of men over the
age of 64 have urinary incontinence.
Q:
How does enlargement of the prostate cause
incontinence?
A:
As one ages, the prostate gland becomes
enlarged. The normal size of an adult prostate
is about the size of a chestnut and usually
weight about 20-25 grams; however, with benign
prostatic hypertrophy (BPH), its weight can
increase up to 60 grams or more. As the
prostate expands, it wraps itself around the
neck of the bladder just like a collar resulting
in the restriction of the outlet causing the
bladder muscle to work harder in order to push
the urine out.
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The following list of Urology procedures are
performed at Beverly Hills Medical Group -
please click the links to find out more:
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