Incontinence can be very disruptive to a person's normal life. A feeling that you have to go to the bathroom all of the time, or to leak with coughing, sneezing or exercise, may be signs of incontinence. Many patients say they go to the bathroom frequently or leak with stressful activities and they think it's normal. They are surprised when they learn it's not.

Urinary incontinence is not a normal part of aging and can often be improved and even cured. Treatment depends on the type of incontinence you have, your medical history, your age and your personal preferences.

For those who need testing to help pinpoint the cause of their incontinence, your doctor can refer you to the Urodynamics Lab.

How it works
Sophisticated equipment in the Urodynamics Lab at Baptist Hospital East helps pinpoint the causes of incontinence symptoms or difficulties with urinary retention.

The lab's new equipment uses a small catheter or sensor placed in the urethra and rectum to record results for the study. The digital monitoring systems take video image information from a fluoroscopy unit and provide very detailed digital pictures and allow the physician to visualize events in the lower urinary tract along with pressure, flow and pelvic muscle function data.

From the data, the physician can determine the causes of the bladder dysfunction, determine the best treatment and assess any potential risks following medical or surgical intervention. The Urodynamics Lab technicians are highly skilled and will take every possible step to maintain the patient's privacy and dignity throughout the procedure.

Tests which can be performed include uroflowmetry, cystometry, electromyography and pressure flow studies.

Who it can help
Patients with voiding dysfunctions such as outlet obstruction, urinary retention, stress or urge incontinence, neurogenic bladder, recurrent urinary tract infection and failed surgical interventions are typical candidates for the urodynamic evaluation.

The studies can be especially helpful for patients in which a neurological problem or back injury may be affecting their bladder function. While not a neurological study, this test may help give the doctor an indication as to which areas of the spine may be impacting bladder function and whether or not any additional neurological studies are necessary.

For patients with spinal or neurological problems, a urodynamics study can serve as a baseline to see if the patient's neuological status is affecting the bladder and if there may be future risks of injury to the upper urinary tract and kidneys.

The details
The lab, housed in the hospital's first-floor Ambulatory Care Unit (ACU), is open on Fridays. Written physician referral is required. For more information, call the ACU at (502) 896-7547.

Baptist East also offers a Women's Health Physical Therapy Program. The program offers women renewed hope to ease pelvic pain, incontinence, osteoporosis and pain associated with pregnancy. Physician referral is also required. For more information about those services, call (502) 897-8137.