Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital

Continence Center

Our Continence Center uses a multidisciplinary approach for diagnostic evaluation and treatment of dysfunctions associated with the lower urinary tract and pelvic floor. Highly qualified, experienced specialists and technologically advanced equipment add up to the most comprehensive diagnostic evaluation and treatment of incontinence and pelvic-floor disorders available.

About Urinary Incontinence

• As many as 25 million Americans suffer from incontinence, about 80 percent of whom are women.

• Researchers estimate that fewer than half have been evaluated and treated because of embarrassment or lack of information about available treatments.

• Up to 5 percent of men 64 years of age and younger and up to 15 percent of men over the age of 64 experience bladder leakage.

• Urinary incontinence is not limited to older adults. Young people may also be affected, including athletic women, new mothers and people coping with illness, birth defects or physical trauma, such as surgery or spinal cord injuries.

• In more than 70 percent of people, urinary incontinence arises from an underlying condition that can be corrected or improved with appropriate treatment.

Diagnostic Services
Urodynamic studies allow the physician to pinpoint the reason the bladder has problems storing and/or emptying urine and assess the neurological coordination of the urethral and bladder musculature. Individualized treatment plans can then be implemented.

Services include:

• Fluoroscopically guided multichannel urodynamic testing
• Comprehensive multichannel urodynamic testing

Treatment Services
When properly performed, a combination of behavioral and biofeedback therapy may result in a 50-95 percent improvement in incontinence, depending on the primary diagnosis.

Treatments include:

• EMG biofeedback
• Pelvic floor rehabilitation therapy
• Incontinence education
• Self-catheterization instruction and support
• Referral for pelvic reconstructive surgery

Pelvic Floor Health
Pelvic floor disorders comprise a group of medical conditions that includes urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse and fecal incontinence, as well as other abnormalities of the lower urinary and gastrointestinal tracts.

Researchers estimate that more than one-third of women will experience one or more of these conditions. Almost 10 percent of women will undergo surgery for urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse during their lifetime, and 30 percent of those who have surgery will have at least two procedures to correct the problem.

With an aging American population and the steady increase in the number of older women, the prevalence of pelvic floor disorders is expected to increase. But there’s good news: Research done at Memorial Hermann is resulting in the discovery of new and better treatments.

Causes of Pelvic Floor Disorders
Pelvic floor conditions usually arise from a combination of factors. Pregnancy and vaginal delivery may weaken supporting pelvic structures, and chronic coughing, obesity, hysterectomy, heavy lifting and frequent straining during bowel movements may contribute to the problem.

Symptoms
Symptoms may be obvious, such as urinary incontinence or a bulge that appears in the vagina, or more subtle, including a sensation of pressure, lower backache or a feeling of tiredness toward the evening.

Treatment Options
Kegel exercises are a program of pelvic muscle training designed to decrease urine leakage by increasing the strength of the pelvic floor muscles, including the levator ani and the urethral sphincter and detrusor (bladder) muscle.

Pessary fitting is also available at Memorial Hermann Katy. A plastic device that fits into the vagina, a pessary is most commonly used to support prolapse of the uterus. Pessaries are most effective in early prolapse and can be a good solution for older women who are not good candidates for surgery.

Minimally invasive surgical repair includes sling procedures for women with rectocele, cystocele, vaginal prolapse and uterine prolapse.

Continence Center
Memorial Hermann Katy Medical Plaza
23920 Katy Freeway, Suite 305
Katy, TX 77494

Scheduling: 281-644-7930