Bladder Sling Surgery for Stress Incontinence
“I leak when I cough, sneeze, and exercise.”
Dr. Christi hears that every day. It’s called stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Many women experience SUI after having children, aging, or experiencing hormonal changes.
What you may not have heard: you do NOT have to live with SUI! Our surgical sling treatment gets you back to your regular life.
Treatment Details
Treatment type
Surgical
Treatment frequency
1
Treatment time
15 – 30 minutes
Downtime
3 days avoiding driving/heavy lifting
What It Treats
Stress urinary incontinence
Leaking urine from bladder pressure exertion, such as coughing, sneezing, or jumping
How It Works
Step 1
First, contact ChristiMD Medical Group for an initial consultation.
We'll talk with you openly and honestly during the consultation Dr. Christi will evaluate your condition’s severity, and discuss non-surgical procedures first. If a surgical sling is your best stress incontinence treatment in Houston, TX, we'll schedule your procedure.
Step 2
The surgery usually only takes around 30 minutes.
The most common type of surgical sling is tension-free vaginal tape (TVT). It’s a quick outpatient surgical procedure, and requires only a very small incision.
Another type of sling is a pubovaginal sling. It is placed in a similar fashion to a TVT, but there is an additional incision in the lower abdomen area.
Step 3
After surgery, patients go home the same day and resume most regular activities immediately.
Dr. Christi recommends that you not drive for 3 days and avoid heavy lifting during that time. Generally, pain levels are surprisingly low and most patients don’t use any pain medication stronger than Tylenol or ibuprofen.
Benefits of Bladder Sling Surgery in Houston
Dr. Christi has performed several thousand sling surgeries and has mastered the procedure. Benefits of the procedure include:
Immediate results
No more stress-induced "leaks"
Great choice when Kegels don't work
Simple outpatient surgery
Achieves long-lasting results
Renewed confidence enjoying activities
Real results
Results of Bladder sling surgery
Stress incontinence incident is greatly reduced or eliminated, resulting in a return to enjoying normal daily life—including vigorous activity/exercise.
a passionate, experienced medical team
About ChristiMD Medical Group
ChristiMD Medical Group provides a trustworthy and welcoming space for men and women alike, offering the most advanced medical treatments available under one roof. Dr. Christi is double board certified in urology and urogynecology, with over 26 years of experience.
We’ve helped thousands of patients across Texas experience positive, life-changing results. Better doctor. Better techniques. Better results.
Get started
Request a consultation to meet with our team and explore treatments to best address your unique concerns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Inserting a sling provides the support the urethra tube needs to function effectively, and it lasts for a very long time. Dr. Christi is an expert in the field, and has reviewed extensive literature on the procedure. The latest studies show that it is safe, and still working 17 years after insertion, in almost all patients.
A sling isn’t done for all stress incontinence issues because Dr. Christi prefers to consider non-invasive procedures first. Non-invasive stress incontinence treatments in Houston, TX, can often address an issue without requiring surgery and healing time. However, depending on the severity of the issue, a sling may be the first, best choice.
Dr. Christi will go over the factors surrounding your concerns and your current health to determine if you’re a good candidate for sling surgery. Some of the factors you’ll discuss to understand the risks and benefits include:
- Age
- Lifestyle choices
- Plans for childbearing
- Other pelvic issues (and their treatment)
- You medical history
- And more.
Together with Dr. Christi, you can make fully-informed decisions for the best outcome.
SUI is caused by a loss of support underneath the urethra tube. The urethra holds urine in the bladder, but when connective tissue or muscle tone is lost, the urethra cannot do its job, and the result is urine leakage.