Stress incontinence is a fairly common condition that affects more women
than men, and commonly causes urine to be released when energy is exerted, often while laughing, coughing, lifting something, sneezing or even while having intercourse. Stress incontinence can be embarrassing, but recent research suggests that a tummy tuck may help not only relieve symptoms of stress incontinence, but also address the source of the problem.
What’s Stress Incontinence?
Stress incontinence occurs when the muscles and tissues that provide support for the bladder, known as the pelvic floor muscles, as well as the muscles that control the release of the bladder, called the urinary sphincter, become weakened. The condition can develop in women as a result of childbirth or in men following prostate surgery. It is also common in men and women who are obese, consume large quantities of alcohol or caffeine, smoke, or have illnesses that cause chronic coughing or sneezing.
Treatments for stress incontinence typically seek to alleviate the symptoms rather than correct the root cause of the problem. Common treatments include vaginal inserts called pessaries designed to support the bladder and pelvic floor muscle exercises.
Tummy Tuck Benefits
Because a tummy tuck can lift the soft tissue in the pelvic area, the procedure can suspend the urethra in such a way that may reduce incontinence.* In recent findings, tummy tucks significantly alleviated stress incontinence in patients who had not previously had a cesarean section. The findings may have a valuable impact on approaches to stress incontinence as well as the documented benefits of tummy tuck surgery.*
*This information is for education only, and is not meant as a guarantee of results. Your results may vary.
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Author: Dr. Francesco Campanile
Board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, Dr. Francesco Campanile is a cosmetic surgeon in Denver who is focused on body contouring and breast enhancement. Time and time again, the women and men who choose Dr. Campanile say that they’ve found “the whole package” – a doctor who cares deeply about the quality of their results and has the skill to achieve excellence.
