You can't always control when you urinate

Urinary Incontinence in women embarrassing but treatable

Dr Meena Dass visiting CMCH on 12-19 November
Ludhiana// November 8, 2011//Shalu Arora and Rector Kathuria

Dr Meena Dass, MD, FRCOG, Consultant Uro-Gynecologist at the Barnsley NHS Hospital Trust, UK, who will be visiting the Department of Urology at CMCH on 12-19 November-2011, in a telephonic interview said that Urinary Incontinence in women is embarrassing but it is treatable. Urinary incontinence means that you can't always control when you urinate. As a result, you wet your clothes most of the time during the day and night. This is embarrassing, but it can always be cured. Urinary incontinence can be caused by many different medical problems, including weak pelvic muscles or diabetes, after repeated child births, obesity and as part of aging in the females. Stress urinary incontinence is a disturbing condition when urine leaks because of sudden pressure on your lower abdominal muscles, such as when you cough, laugh, lift something or exercise. Stress incontinence usually occurs when the pelvic muscles are weak, for example after childbirth or surgery. Stress incontinence is common in women. Surgery can be helpful. It is usually done if other treatment modalities haven't worked or if the incontinence is severe.

Dr Meena Dass described the new surgical technique of “Tension Free Vaginal Tape – Obturator Approach (TVT-O)” and highlighted its advantage over various other surgical procedures for Stress Urinary Incontinence (SIU). Dr Kim Mammen, HOD of Urology, CMCH, emphasized that the TVT-O Technique and the use of similar slings, is a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of patients with Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) who do not improve with medications. It improves the quality of life and makes the patients dry.

Dr Meena Dass along with Dr Kim Mammen and the Urology Team including Dr Francis Sridhar Katumalla, Dr George Mathew, Dr Shafiq Ahmed and Dr Amit Tuli will be available to treat patients with Stress Urinary Incontinence. We hope to see many patients coming into our hospital “wet” and going  home “dry”, said Dr Kim Mammen, Professor & Head, Department of Urology, CMCH. Dr Meena Dass will be available for consultation from 12-19 November-2011 at the Department of Urology with prior appointment. The contact telephone for prior appointment: 0161-5026999 Extension: 5026 [Urology Office].

 “I was unable to go for any social functions because I was always wet but, now after this surgical procedure, I am absolutely dry and I do not have to wear any pads. I do not smell of urine and I feel more confident of myself” said one of the patients who was recently operated at CMCH Urology Department. Dr Kim Mammen highlighted that the cost of this “Tension Free Vaginal Tape – Obturator Approach (TVT-O)” which is imported is available at a subsidized rate and for genuinely poor and need patients few of these Tapes can be made available free of cost through Philanthropists and charitable agencies.