Treatment Options - Control Your Choice

Treatment options

There are many treatment options available for stress urinary incontinence after lifestyle changes and pelvic floor training have been tried.

The table below shows information about the common treatments available for stress urinary incontinence which should be discussed with your doctor.

Urethral Bulking

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Mesh Tape

Colposuspension

Autologous Tissue Sling

The injection of a soft gel (the size of a pea) into 3 or 4 locations in the urethral wall using a small telescope

A piece of plastic mesh tape is inserted into the pelvis to support the urethra

Stitches are placed in the pelvis to lift the bladder neck upwards

A piece of your own tissue (normally from your thigh or abdomen) is used to support the urethra

Invasiveness

3 or 4 injections

2 x 1-2cm incisions and mesh inserted

10cm incision, or 3 to 4 small 1-2cm incisions (keyhole surgery)

2 incisions (1 in the bikini line or leg) and 1 in the vaginal wall

Success rate (improved or cured)

77-83%^2-4

80 – 90%^9,14

80 – 90%^11,15

80 – 90%^12,16

Procedure time

5 – 10 minutes

Between 20 – 40 minutes^9,14

Around an hour^11,15

More than an hour^12,16

Hospital stay

Out patients/Office¹³

Day surgery^9,14

Up to 5 days^11,15

Up to 2 days^12,16

Recovery time

Up to 24 hours⁷

Up to 4 weeks^9,14

6 weeks^11,15

6 weeks^12,16

Potential short term complications

Short term pain that resolves shortly after the procedure (up to 15%)
urinary infection (up to 5%)
difficulty empting bladder (up to 7%)

Short term pain (up to 50%),
urinary infection (up to 5%),
difficulty empting bladder (around 5%)

Short term pain (almost all),
urinary infection (5%),
difficulty empting bladder (around 5%),
wound infection (5%)

Short term pain (almost all),
urinary infection (5%),
difficulty empting bladder (5%),
wound infection (5%)

Potential long term complications

No long-term complications reported⁵

Severe pain (up to 5%),
erosion of the mesh into the urethra or bladder (2.5%)

Pain in vagina or abdomen (tummy) including pain during intercourse (2%),
vaginal prolapse (10-20%)

Pain in vagina or abdomen (tummy) (up to 5%)

Recurrance rate

10% repeat injections may be required if your symptoms begin to return⁷

10% recurrence of symptoms^9,14

10% recurrence of symptoms^11,15

10% recurrence symptoms^12,16

Urethral Bulking

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Success rate

77-83%^2-4

Invasiveness

3 or 4 injections

Procedure time

5 – 10 minutes

Hospital stay

Out patients/Office¹³

Recovery time

Up to 24 hours⁷

Potential short term complications

Short term pain that resolves shortly after the procedure (up to 15%)
urinary infection (up to 5%)
difficulty empting bladder (up to 7%)

Potential long term complications

No long-term complications reported⁵

Recurrance rate

10% repeat injections may be required if your symptoms begin to return⁷

Mesh Tape

Success rate

80 – 90%^9,14

Invasiveness

2 x 1-2cm incisions and mesh inserted

Procedure time

Between 20 – 40 minutes^9,14

Hospital stay

Day surgery^9,14

Recovery time

Up to 4 weeks^9,14

Potential short term complications

Short term pain (up to 50%),
urinary infection (up to 5%),
difficulty empting bladder (around 5%)

Potential long term complications

Severe pain (up to 5%),
erosion of the mesh into the urethra or bladder (2.5%)

Recurrance rate

10% recurrence of symptoms^9,14

Colposuspension

Success rate

80 – 90%^11,15

Invasiveness

10cm incision, or 3 to 4 small 1-2cm incisions (keyhole surgery)

Procedure time

Around an hour^11,15

Hospital stay

Up to 5 days^11,15

Recovery time

6 weeks^11,15

Potential short term complications

Short term pain (almost all),
urinary infection (5%),
difficulty empting bladder (around 5%),
wound infection (5%)

Potential long term complications

Pain in vagina or abdomen (tummy) including pain during intercourse (2%),
vaginal prolapse (10-20%)

Recurrance rate

10% recurrence of symptoms^11,15

Autologous Tissue Sling

Success rate

80 – 90%^12,16

Invasiveness

2 incisions (1 in the bikini line or leg) and 1 in the vaginal wall

Procedure time

More than an hour^12,16

Hospital stay

Up to 2 days^12,16

Recovery time

6 weeks^12,16

Potential short term complications

Short term pain (almost all),
urinary infection (5%),
difficulty empting bladder (5%),
wound infection (5%)

Potential long term complications

Pain in vagina or abdomen (tummy) (up to 5%)

Recurrance rate

10% recurrence symptoms^12,16

Success Stories

How urethral bulking has helped other women.

The procedure was very simple. I was completely dry within a day or two, and returned to work the next day, carrying on with life as normal.

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As a keen walker, enjoying regular holidays in the Lake District, I soon decided that stress incontinence wasn't something that I was prepared to put up with. I'd tried pelvic floor exercises and specialist physiotherapy but neither seemed to make much difference.

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Over the past few years, I'd really got into going to the gym, particularly working with weights but increasingly my bladder issues - and those embarrassing leaks - were really starting to impact on what I could comfortably do.

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