Your Hometown Urologist

Robert

DO YOU EVER LEAK WHEN YOU laugh, walk or even cough? If so, you are not alone. For many women and men, stress incontinence is holding them back. Stress incontinence is defined as leakage that occurs as a result of coughing, exercising or sneezing. While many chalk this up to as the result of age, child bearing or strenuous exercise, stress incontinence is the result of damage to the urethral ligaments and truthfully can affect all individuals. While more common among females, stress incontinence can occur in both genders. However, stress incontinence in men is usually secondary to prostate cancer surgery.

Unlike individuals suffering from urge incontinence, stress incontinence does not affect the bladder’s ability to empty or its storage capacity. Stress incontinence is involuntary and occurs when internal forces apply additional pressure to the bladder neck.

A minimally invasive procedure done in the office might be all you need. Urethral bulking helps strengthen your urethral sphincter. This is very similar to Restylane injections used in cosmetic surgery.

In some instances, female bladder incontinence is severe and doesn’t respond to non-invasive treatments. In these cases, Dr. Marx may recommend bladder suspension surgery. This procedure can be performed through an incision in the vagina without any abdominal incisions. Each procedure involves pulling the bladder neck back into place and securing it with a sling so that it stays put. All material used is organic so there is no mesh to erode.

Success rates for bladder suspension surgery are high often depending on a patient’s medical history or other medical conditions. To maximize the effectiveness of post-op results, be sure to discuss your lifestyle, limitations and any concerns you may have with Dr. Marx prior to surgery.

Urge incontinence occurs when the urge to urinate occurs and the patient is unable to inhibit urination. It is most common with aging. Treatments include oral medications, behavior modification as well as InterStim which is sacral neural modulation. This is also known as a bladder pacemaker and is now MRI compatible. This is a therapy that has been available for 20+ years and Dr. Marx has at least 15 years experience with this device. An InterStim trial can be done in the office, allowing the patient to try the device before having it implanted.

Robert D. Marx, M.D. is your hometown, board certified urologist. Born and raised in Monroe, Louisiana. He graduated from NLU, now ULM, and graduated from medical school and completed his residency at LSU Shreveport. Dr. Marx has traveled extensively working with the leaders of the field in order to keep up with the latest and most successful techniques in incontinence. He has been specializing in this field for over thirty years and conveniently operates at Glenwood, Monroe Surgical and P&S. Robert D. Marx, M.D. and his staff are here to help our community members suffering from these conditions find relief.

Whatever level of severity your problem is, Robert D. Marx, M.D. and his dedicated staff are ready to assist you. Dr. Marx prides himself on the personal attention he provides each patient. He understands that this is a sensitive subject and Dr. Marx has decades of experience providing careful, appropriate treatment to put you at ease.