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Bladder and urethral repair - series

Normal anatomy

Bladder and urethral repair is usually performed to prevent urine leakage associated with stress incontinence.

Stress incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine when laughing, coughing, sneezing, or lifting, which can result from deformity or damage to the urethra and bladder from decreased muscle tone caused by multiple births, menopause, or other causes.

Procedure

While the patient is deep asleep and pain-free (general anesthesia), the surgeon elevates the bladder neck (pubococcygeal muscle) by stitching it and the urethra to the anterior (front) pubic bone.

After surgery, the patient will have a Foley catheter in place. The urine may initially appear bloody but this should gradually resolve. A suprapubic catheter may also be used. The suprapubic catheter may be removed several days after surgery so that the patient is able to completely empty the bladder. Often this suprapubic catheter will need to remain in place for as long as 3 months, depending on the person's ability to empty the bladder completely.

Aftercare

The amount of time it takes to recover from surgery depends on the individual.

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Review Date: 1/1/2022  

Reviewed By: Kelly L. Stratton, MD, FACS, Associate Professor, Department of Urology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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