New Research Looks At Treating Urinary Incontinence

ROYAL OAK (WWJ) - It's a problem one in three women suffer from, but usually aren't comfortable talking about. Now there's new research on treating stress urinary incontinence.

Dutch researchers found more than 90 percent of women who had a type of procedure called mid-urethral sling surgery reported improvement of stress urinary incontinence, which happens during physical exercise, laughing, or coughing.

Those surgery results are compared to 64 percent of women who had physical therapy for pelvic floor muscle training to correct the problem.

Beaumont Urologist Kenneth Peters says there's no one-size-fits-all approach to treatment.

"So, how much we do is dependent on the patient's bother factor, number one," Dr. Peters told WWJ Health Reporter Sean Lee. "And then, you know, whether we talk about behavioral therapy ... like voiding frequently and not letting your bladder get to full, you know; emptying before you do physical activities, or doing physical therapies and pelvic floor muscle strengthening or surgery — all of those are reasonable options.

"If the patient is motivated to do physical therapy, those patients in general will do very well, as long as they maintain that program," he said.

Peters says new therapies using an adults own stem cells may be on the horizon for treating stress urinary incontinence, based on a recently completed clinical trial.