A new device to treat incontinence is being developed by Peter Sayet at Precision Medical Devices Inc., reports the Orlando Sentinel.
Incontinence is the term used when people pass urine unintentionally. It is a common condition thought to affect around 40 million people. Incontinence can be a symptom of many different conditions, including Alzheimer’s, paralysis, spinal cord injury, and spina bifida. Women also often become incontinent following childbirth if their pelvic muscles and nerves are injured. There are several different types of incontinence with different levels of severity. These include stress incontinence, when urine leaks out when the bladder in under pressure from things like laughing or coughing, and total incontinence, where the bladder is unable to store any urine resulting in frequent or constant leaking.
Treatments for incontinence depend on the severity of the condition, but include dietary changes, pelvic floor exercises, bladder training, medications, products such as absorbent pads and handheld urinals, and, in some cases, surgery. Surgery can be used to strengthen bladder muscles, expand the bladder, reduce pressure on the bladder, or implant devices that influence muscles around the bladder. However, the current surgical options tend to have downsides. A device used for men called a urethra valve requires two to three hours of surgery to insert. Furthermore, it cannot be used for many patients with Alzheimer’s because they may need a caregiver to operate it, and this isn’t possible. The most common surgical option for women is the transvaginal mesh, but this has an extremely high failure rate with 1 out of every 30 female patients having it removed or revised after experiencing problems with it. In the US, over 50,000 women are suing the device manufacturers through a class-action lawsuit.
