What procedures help treat urinary incontinence in women?

There are several different kinds of surgeries to correct stress incontinence, which occurs when weakened pelvic floor muscles allow the bladder neck and urethra to drop. These surgeries seek to lift the urethra, the bladder, or both into the normal position. This makes sneezing, coughing and laughing less likely to make urine leak from the bladder.

Surgery works to cure stress incontinence better than any other treatment. If other treatments (like pelvic floor muscle exercises) haven't worked to control your incontinence, surgery may be your best option. What kind of surgery you have depends on your preference, your health and your doctor's experience.

Surgery is done much less often for urge incontinence, and the results are not as good.

• Tension-free vaginal tape (TVT) surgery
• Retropubic suspension
• Urethral sling
• Electrical stimulation
• Urethral bulking