Who can benefit from a bulking agent injection for urinary incontinence?

For some people with urinary incontinence, injection of a bulking agent can reinforce the tissue around the urethra (the tube that connects the bladder to the outside of the body). This procedure can help men who have had their prostate removed and women with the type of stress incontinence known as intrinsic sphincter deficiency, in which the urinary sphincter no longer closes completely and allows urine to leak out, particularly with exertion. After injection, the bulking agent pushes against the urethra to make it narrower, so that it stays closed against increased pressure.