Treatment of Stress incontinence: Good news! It’s not always surgery!

A pessary is a support device placed into the vagina, usually by a Gynecologist to help support your pelvic organs and bladder that may have lost it’s support and might be contributing to your incontinence. It is temporary and easily removable by you. You would need a pelvic exam by your Gynecologist or Urologist to make sure this is a suitable option for you.

There are some other less common options that I will just briefly mention below. As always, be sure to discuss these with your physician prior to trying them.

Vaginal Cones and Weights- weighted cones placed into the vagina and you have to use your muscles to hold them in.

Pelvic Floor Electrical Stimulation- a small electrode is placed into the vagina and delivers a small non-painful energy dose to the pelvic floor muscles to stimulate a contraction.

Magnetic Therapy- Patient sits on a chair and a magnetic field is generated. No patient effort is required. Long term results are not readily available at this time.

I hope this summary makes things a little better for you to seek care for your incontinence. Just because you see the doctor, doesn’t mean you will end up with a pill or surgery. Hope this helps!