Treatment Options for Urinary Incontinence in Men

Urinary incontinence can have a big impact on your quality of life. While women outpace men by 2 to 1 when it comes to incontinence, the issue still affects millions of men: Research has found that it affects between 11% and 34% of older men, specifically.

If you find yourself among these numbers and would like to explore your treatment options, you’ve come to the right practice. Board-certified urologist Dr. Robert J. Cornell routinely helps patients to gain control over their urinary function. Let’s explore how.

Behind urinary incontinence in men

Not only are there several types of incontinence, but different causes as well. 

The five main types of urinary incontinence are:

1. Stress incontinence: Pressure on your bladder forces urine out.
2. Urge incontinence: You have sudden, uncontrollable urges to urinate.
3. Mixed incontinence: You experience a combination of stress and urge incontinence.
4. Overflow incontinence: Your bladder doesn’t empty properly due to obstruction.
5. Functional incontinence: You physically can’t get to the bathroom in time.

We deal mostly with overflow and stress incontinence because they’re related to common prostate issues, including benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and surgery for prostate cancer (prostatectomy).

Solutions for prostate-related incontinence

One of the more common issues we see in our practice is post-prostatectomy incontinence, which affects most men after prostate removal. This is because the sphincter that controls the flow of urine out of your bladder can be weakened as a result of this surgery. In many cases, the incontinence resolves itself within a year of the surgery, but not always.

If your post-prostatectomy incontinence (or overflow incontinence) doesn't improve after a year, then we can look at another solution — an artificial urinary sphincter. At our practice, Dr. Cornell has had great success with the AMS 800™ Urinary Control System, which boasts an impressive 90% satisfaction rate.

Solutions for BPH-related incontinence

About 80% of men who experience urinary incontinence have urge incontinence due to BPH. An enlarged prostate can lead to dribbling and urine leakage, which we address in several ways, including:

• Bladder training to help your body adapt to a regular urination schedule
• Medications to relax your prostate and bladder for easier urination
• BPH treatments, such as thermotherapy or minimally invasive surgery, to reduce the size of your prostate
• Pelvic floor exercises to strengthen muscles that support bladder control

Often, we recommend trying these incontinence treatments in combination to see what works best for you.

Solutions for other types of incontinence

If your urinary incontinence isn’t related to prostate surgery or BPH, we can explore other options. It’s hard to say what they might be, as there are so many different factors and types of incontinence. For example, how we go about treating functional incontinence is different from how we treat stress incontinence, and so on. Or, if you have an illness that affects urinary function, such as multiple sclerosis, treatment takes that into consideration.

Discover the solution to your incontinence

For expert diagnosis and treatment of male urinary incontinence, contact our Houston office today to schedule a consultation. Rest assured, we will work with you to find a satisfactory solution for your urinary incontinence and improve your quality of life.