Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) Treatment Specialist in Smithfield, NC

Our team often sees cases of SUI resulting from a variety of factors, many of which are areas of our expertise:

1. Pregnancy and Childbirth: Female patients often experience SUI due to vaginal births which can stretch and weaken the pelvic floor muscles.
2. Aging: As people age, muscle tone naturally decreases, leading to the weakening of these muscles and increased risk of SUI.
3. Obesity: We can provide advice and management strategies for patients whose excessive weight is putting additional pressure on the bladder and surrounding muscles, contributing to incontinence.
4. Hysterectomy: Our center works with patients who have undergone the surgical removal of the uterus, which can disrupt the pelvic floor muscles, leading to SUI.
5. Chronic Coughing: We see patients with persistent coughing, often due to smoking or lung disease, which can exert pressure on the bladder and weaken the pelvic floor muscles.
6. Neurological Conditions: We have expertise in treating patients with neurological disorders, such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease, which can affect the nerves that control the bladder, resulting in SUI.
7. Diabetes: We treat patients with diabetes, a condition that can damage the nerves supplying the bladder and pelvic floor muscles, potentially leading to SUI.

For women experiencing hormonal changes during menopause which can contribute to SUI, our team at Mohamed & Associates Urology Center can provide support and treatment options. Equally, we are skilled in treating men who have undergone prostate surgery, a frequent cause of SUI in men.

Our diagnostic process for SUI begins with a thorough examination of your medical history. Our highly qualified urologists will ask about your symptoms, their frequency and severity, and any factors that exacerbate or alleviate them. This helps us understand whether your incontinence is due to an underlying condition or disease.

We also conduct detailed physical examinations, including pelvic exams for female patients and prostate exams for males. By assessing your abdomen and upper body, we can detect any indicators of neurological problems that could be causing incontinence.

We may also recommend maintaining a bladder diary, a record of your daily fluid intake, urination frequency, and instances of incontinence. This tool can provide us with valuable insight into your condition and its impact on your daily life.

Several diagnostic tests may be conducted to confirm SUI and rule out other potential causes. These include urinalysis, bladder stress test, and post-void residual measurement. Our facility has modern testing technology, enabling us to do urodynamic research, cough stress tests, and imaging tests such as ultrasound, cystoscopy, and MRI.

The data obtained from these evaluations and tests help our urologists formulate a personalized treatment plan that addresses your specific symptoms and needs. We understand that discussing urinary incontinence can be uncomfortable, but rest assured, our team is ready to help you manage your condition efficiently.

We begin treating SUI with lifestyle modifications, which are critical in managing this condition. Our team will guide you in reducing fluid intake, avoiding bladder irritants such as caffeine and alcohol, and losing weight if overweight. Since smoking can lead to chronic coughing, which puts more stress on the bladder, we will also assist you with smoking cessation strategies.

Our urologists work closely with physical therapists who specialize in pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT). This therapy consists of exercises that strengthen the capacity and stamina of the muscles in your pelvic floor, hence reducing urine leakage. Our therapists will provide you with instructions on performing these exercises correctly.

If needed, our urologists may prescribe medications like alpha-adrenergic agonists, such as midodrine or phenylephrine. These medications increase the tone of the urethral sphincter, the muscle responsible for preventing urine leakage. Anticholinergics, such as oxybutynin or tolterodine, can also be prescribed to reduce bladder muscle contractions, decreasing the risk of involuntary urine loss.

If the first-line treatments are not providing sufficient relief, our urologists are skilled at performing surgical procedures to correct underlying anatomical abnormalities or provide support to the urethra and bladder neck. Common surgical interventions include mid-urethral slings, pubovaginal slings, and colposuspension procedures.

SUI, a condition that results in spontaneous urine leakage during physical exertions such as coughing, laughing, or exercising, is often initially managed through lifestyle modifications and physical therapies. These may include limiting fluid consumption, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, weight loss, smoking cessation, and performing Kegel exercises to strengthen urinary muscles.

However, when these initial steps do not effectively manage the symptoms, our specialists at Mohamed & Associates Urology Center can provide or recommend further interventions. These may range from medications like topical estrogen, pseudoephedrine, and tricyclic antidepressants, which can tighten urination muscles, to surgical procedures.

There are several surgical options available, such as mid-urethral sling procedures, including the tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) and transobturator tape (TOT) methods. These procedures involve the placement of a synthetic tape underneath the urethra to prevent urine leakage.

We also offer bulking agent injections, which can be synthetic or biological materials added to the urethral wall to enhance closure. We can also perform bladder neck and colposuspension procedures, where the bladder neck or the bladder itself is lifted and attached to nearby tissues for improved support.

At Mohamed & Associates Urology Center, we understand that the decision to pursue a specific treatment depends on several factors including your preferences, the severity of your incontinence, your age and overall health, any existing urinary or pelvic floor disorders, and the potential surgical risks and complications. To make sure that your therapy is customized to your unique symptoms, general health, and lifestyle, we are dedicated to going over all of your alternatives with you. For more information contact us or book an appointment now. We are located at 507 N Brightleaf Blvd #205, Smithfield, NC 27577. West Smithfield NC, Whitley Heights NC, Westview, Smithfield NC, Four Oaks NC, Pine Level NC, Oliver NC, Wilsons Mills NC, Trailwood NC, and surrounding areas.