2023-08-18 11:00:00
[메디컬투데이=김준수 기자] The discomfort index of urinary incontinence patients is rising amid the successive heat waves. It’s because the sweat is not enough to flow, and the urine leaks and smells bad. In particular, in summer, because of the high temperature and high humidity environment, unpleasant odors spread easily and germs multiply quickly. Because of the increase in water intake, there is a lot of leakage of urine. There are many patients who are reluctant to go out because of this discomfort.
Treatment methods vary depending on the type of urinary incontinence. Stress urinary incontinence, which accounts for 80-90% of the causes of urinary incontinence, requires surgical treatment. Stress urinary incontinence is a phenomenon in which urine leaks due to a sudden increase in abdominal pressure due to coughing, sneezing, or exercise. Pregnancy, childbirth, and aging cause the pelvic floor muscles to weaken, resulting in increased abdominal pressure and insufficient support of the bladder and urethra.
In this case, it can be treated through TOT surgery (transobturator tape insertion). By using a mesh harmless to the human body, a belt-shaped tape is passed through the vagina from the middle of the urethra upwards, providing support when receiving abdominal pressure to prevent leakage of urine. It is a fundamental treatment for stress urinary incontinence, different from vaginoplasty. In the case of TOT surgery, the national health insurance has been applied since 2007, reducing the out-of-pocket expenses. In addition, the operation time is relatively short, around 10 minutes, and the recovery period is short, such as showering from the next day.
In some hospitals, there are many cases in which they advertise that urinary incontinence can be treated with methods such as so-called pretty surgery or vaginal laser treatment. However, this is misinformation, and the site that causes urinary incontinence and the site where surgery is performed are also different. In the case of stress urinary incontinence, since the cause of symptoms is damage to the pelvic floor muscles, it can recur if it is not improved.
▲ Director Kwon Jeong-eun (Photo = Courtesy of Hestia Women’s Clinic)
On the other hand, non-surgical treatment is possible for urinary incontinence and mixed incontinence. Urgency urinary incontinence is when urine leaks due to a sudden urge to urinate. Mixed urinary incontinence refers to a combination of urge urinary incontinence and stress urinary incontinence. In this case, it is possible to treat through non-surgical methods such as Kegel exercise, electrical stimulation therapy, and drug treatment for urinary incontinence, as well as TOT surgery.
Kwon Jeong-eun, representative director of Hestia Women’s Clinic, said, “Many people are reluctant to visit the hospital because of embarrassment and shame. However, the prognosis is better with early treatment, so if you suspect urinary incontinence, you should visit the hospital immediately and receive appropriate treatment. At this time, if you get a urodynamic test, you can diagnose the exact symptoms of urinary incontinence at the same time as the patient’s treatment plan.”
“In addition, female plastic surgery and urinary incontinence surgery, which are performed for beauty, have different purposes, and to prevent recurrence after surgery, only TOT surgery, which is the fundamental treatment of urinary incontinence, can be corrected. Therefore, when choosing a hospital for urinary incontinence surgery, you should choose a place that properly diagnoses urinary incontinence and treats it correctly so that there is no recurrence.”
Reporter Kim Junsu of Medical Today ([email protected])
[저작권자ⓒ 메디컬투데이. 무단전재-재배포 금지]
1692391756
#Urinary #incontinence #worse #summer #needed #prevent #recurrence #surgery