Urinary incontinence-procedural and surgical treatments for women.

BACKGROUND

A range of surgical treatment options is available for women suffering from stress and urge urinary incontinence refractory to conservative and medical management.

OBJECTIVE

This article discusses the indications for surgical treatments for stress and urge urinary incontinence in women; and the advantages, disadvantages and side effects of these treatments.

DISCUSSION

Women who fail to respond to pelvic floor physiotherapy for stress urinary incontinence have available to them a range of variably invasive surgical treatment options including bio-injectable agents, sling surgery, colposuspension, and prostheses. Women with urge urinary incontinence refractory to the newer anticholinergic agents can be treated with minimally invasive options such as bladder injections of botulinum toxin and sacral neuromodulation, as well as more invasive major urinary tract surgery.